The duty in context
Avoid wasting the court's time court
The lawyer must take reasonable steps to conduct the case efficiently and avoid unnecessary expense and waste of the court's time.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 2.6 strong 31 cases
2.6 You do not waste the court's time.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC3.3 strong 15 cases
rC3.3 you must take reasonable steps to avoid wasting the court's time;
BSB Handbook Part 2: Code of Conduct · 5.0 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.2.1(c) strong
take reasonable steps to avoid wasting the Court's time
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 17.2.2 partial 25 cases
A solicitor does not breach the solicitor's duty to the client... simply by choosing... to exercise the forensic judgments called for during the case so as to: ... 17.2.2 present the client's case as quickly and simply as may be consistent with its robust advancement.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules r57 strong 7 cases
A barrister must seek to ensure that work which the barrister is briefed to do in relation to a case is done so as to: (a) confine the case to identified issues which are genuinely in dispute; ... (e) occupy as short a time in court as is reasonably necessary to advance and protect the client's interests which are at stake in the case.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch5 — General (relationship with the court) partial 1 case
A solicitor should avoid improper or abusive litigation, predatory litigation, abuse of process, taking unfair advantage, misleading the court, and conducting frivolous and/or vexatious cases.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 5.20 strong 1 case
Barristers must in every case use their best endeavours to avoid unnecessary expense and waste of the Court's time. They should, (subject to Rule 5.21), when asked, inform the Court of the probable length of the case and also subsequently inform the Court of any developments which significantly affect the information already provided.
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon V(q) partial 2 cases
An Attorney shall be punctual in attendance before the Courts and concise and direct in the trial and disposition of causes.
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.3.1 c) strong
Members must... c) take reasonable steps to avoid wasting the court's time.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 5.1-1 commentary [8] strong
In civil proceedings, a lawyer should avoid and discourage the client from resorting to frivolous or vexatious objections, attempts to gain advantage from slips or oversights not going to the merits or tactics that will merely delay or harass the other side. Such practices can readily bring the administration of justice and the legal profession into disrepute.
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 5.1-1, commentary [8] partial
In civil proceedings, a lawyer should avoid and discourage the client from resorting to frivolous or vexatious objections, attempts to gain advantage from slips or oversights not going to the merits or tactics that will merely delay or harass the other side.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 3 / r 13.2 partial
In providing regulated services to a client, a lawyer must always act competently and in a timely manner consistent with the terms of the retainer and the duty to take reasonable care. ... A lawyer must not act in a way that undermines the processes of the court or the dignity of the judiciary.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct no clear equivalent
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 9 (Conduct of proceedings) partial 3 cases
9 Conduct of proceedings
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 10.18 partial
A solicitor must inform his client if a proposed or continuing action has no prospect of success as a matter of law.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 10.36 strong
A practising barrister must in every case use his best endeavours to avoid unnecessary expense and waste of the Court's time.
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
89 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern
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Shezhad Ilyas
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2019
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Rohan Slater
Charge is proved and professional misconduct is established
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Scott Halborg
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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John Mark Fitzpatrick
Repeated failures and breaches of Rules relating to the conduct of legal practitioners, including, repeated failures to respond in an adequate and timely manner to requests for information from the Commissioner and the …
Struck off View decision -
Van Aalst, Julian Samuel
In October 2012 Mr Van Aalst asked his instructing solicitor to sign a costs agreement that was backdated to October 2010 and which he also asked the complainant, his client, to sign. Mr Van Aalst then relied on this co…
Reprimand $0.00 About About the OLSC The Commissioner History Mission statement Structure Contact Contact the OLSC Give us your feedback: online surveys Access to information (GIPAA) Community information Information for lawyers Fact sheets FAQs Other regulatory and complaint-handling organisations Contact LawAccess NSW for legal information " You and Your Lawyer", Hot Topics 78 Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC), State Library of NSW , provides access to information about the law in NSW regarding your lawyer Privacy Copyright and Disclaimer Website accessibility View decision -
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Bing Han
Guilty of professional misconduct on 1 charge
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Kernaghan, Aaron Noel
Professional Misconduct Failed to honour an undertaking Committing various trust monies breaches concerning multiple clients and events between December 2015 and July 2016 Failed to answer a s 370 Notice Failed over a l…
Costs Reprimand Solicitor to undertake and complete further legal education Employment and medical conditions imposed on the Solicitor’s practising certificate $0.00 1 PDF View decision -
Clark, Jessica (Aka Reanna Biancé) Chanelle
Breached rule 17.4 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015 (NSW) - Independence—avoidance of personal bias - A solicitor must not become the surety for the client’s bail — Unsatisfa…
Reprimand $0.00 About About the OLSC The Commissioner History Mission statement Structure Contact Contact the OLSC Give us your feedback: online surveys Access to information (GIPAA) Community information Information for lawyers Fact sheets FAQs Other regulatory and complaint-handling organisations Contact LawAccess NSW for legal information " You and Your Lawyer", Hot Topics 78 Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC), State Library of NSW , provides access to information about the law in NSW regarding your lawyer Privacy Copyright and Disclaimer Website accessibility View decision -
Omolarami Akindiji
Breaches
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Quinones, Joseline Carol
The Solicitor failed to pay the Complainant’s invoice dated 17 September 2019 for the sum of $17,600.00 (the Invoice) for work performed pursuant to a total of four (4) costs agreements (the Costs Agreements). The Solic…
Reprimand Solicitor to undertake and complete further legal education Within seven days of completing the tutorial, is to provide to the Law Society’s Director Legal Regulation, a report which demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the Director, the solicitor’s understanding of matters dealt with in the tutorial $0.00 Appeal Status: Dismissed Appeal Decision 1 PDF View decision -
Dexter Charles Anthony Wadsworth
Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered January 18, 2022. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 24, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMM…
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Gleeson, Phillip Thomas
1. Discourtesy: a. That the Respondent Solicitor failed on 4 occasions over nearly 2 years to either appear for his client himself, or arrange appropriate representation. b. The Respondent Solicitor failed to provide a …
Practitioner to undertake and complete further legal education Reprimand Provide a written apology to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia in Melbourne $0.00 About About the OLSC The Commissioner History Mission statement Structure Contact Contact the OLSC Give us your feedback: online surveys Access to information (GIPAA) Community information Information for lawyers Fact sheets FAQs Other regulatory and complaint-handling organisations Contact LawAccess NSW for legal information " You and Your Lawyer", Hot Topics 78 Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC), State Library of NSW , provides access to information about the law in NSW regarding your lawyer Privacy Copyright and Disclaimer Website accessibility View decision -
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Howard A. Lettman
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 23, 2019. || Struck off, Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered January 25, 2020 View PDF DECISION OF THE D…
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RONALD WILLIAM BOWER
Struck Off the Roll of Practitioners
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Zhukovska, Myroslava
Professional Misconduct 1. Acting in a conflict of interests 2. Failure to obtain instructions before making unsecured loan from client's funds 3. Charging excessive legal costs 4. Preferring own interests to those of c…
Costs Fine Reprimand The lawyer's local practising certificate is cancelled and any new practising certificate shall not be issued before the end of 12 months from the date of these orders. $9,000.00 2 PDFs View decision
Duty classification does not yet cover every jurisdiction (Ontario, New Zealand and Singapore decisions are indexed but not yet duty-classified), so counts here understate those corpora.