RICHARD JAMES LAWSON

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The Supreme Court of Western Australia ordered that Richard James Lawson's name be removed from the Supreme Court roll following the State Administrative Tribunal's findings of professional misconduct in nine respects. The Tribunal found the practitioner engaged in a persistent course of dishonest conduct over more than six years, involving false and grossly overstated itemised accounts to a client, false statements to the Committee and Legal Practice Board, and false affidavit and bill of costs in court proceedings, as well as lying in his evidence to the Tribunal. The court expressly endorsed findings of serious dishonesty. He had a prior 2015 six-month suspension for dishonesty-related misconduct. The court ordered removal from the roll; the Tribunal had earlier ordered costs of $71,890.40.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Hold a current practising certificate
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Persistent dishonest conduct over more than six years
• Dishonesty in multiple settings (client, Committee, Legal Practice Board, court proceedings)
• Lied in evidence to the Tribunal
• Impugned the competence and honesty of a very junior practitioner (JR)
• Engaged his wife in his dishonest conduct
• Attempted to obtain personal benefit at the expense of his client to whom he owed fiduciary duties
• No remorse shown
• No insight demonstrated
• Prior disciplinary record - 2015 six-month suspension for misconduct involving dishonesty

Mitigating factors:

• Advanced age (nearly 70)
• Poor health and unable to work
• Existing on a government pension
• Surrendered practising certificate and stated no intention to practise again