The duty in context
AML and crime-prevention compliance profession
The lawyer must comply with anti-money-laundering, proceeds-of-crime, sanctions and crime-prevention legislation and report suspicious transactions to the relevant authorities.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS Introduction; CCF Introduction partial 97 cases
In addition to the regulatory requirements set by us in our Codes, Principles and our rules and regulations, we directly monitor and enforce ... provisions relating to anti money laundering and counter terrorist financing, as set out in regulations made by the Treasury as in force from time to time.
SRA Code of Conduct for Firms · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook gC43 partial 3 cases
gC43 Rule rC15.5 acknowledges that your duty of confidentiality is subject to an exception if disclosure is required or permitted by law. For example, you may be obliged to disclose certain matters by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Disclosure in those circumstances would not amount to a breach of CD6 or Rule rC15.5
BSB Handbook Part 2: Code of Conduct · 5.0 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.10.1 strong
An attorney-at-law shall observe and comply with all applicable legislation in respect of crime prevention, including the POCA and the AML Regulations... to prevent crime, including bribery, money laundering, sanctions, terrorist financing and proliferation financing activities.
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules no clear equivalent
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules no clear equivalent
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch9 — Retention or destruction of files; Ch1 — Legislation strong 3 cases
Solicitors are also required to report any suspicious transactions to the Garda Financial Intelligence Unit and Revenue Commissioners... the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 as amended and the regulations made under these Acts are part of the legislative framework for the regulation of solicitors.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics no clear equivalent
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code G.1.4; G.2.15 partial
A member or a firm must not act if they would be in breach of the law or of the Rules: examples are where money laundering is suspected... The money laundering legislation overrides the duty of confidentiality in certain circumstances. When deciding whether a report needs to be made to the relevant authorities, the firm's money laundering reporting officer (MLRO) will consider the law.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.2-7 commentary [2] partial
A lawyer should be alert to and avoid unwittingly becoming involved with a client or any other person who is engaged in criminal activity such as mortgage fraud or money laundering. [The substantive AML/client-identification-and-verification obligations are set out in the Law Society's by-laws, not as RPC conduct rules.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 3.2-7 partial
A lawyer must not engage in any activity that the lawyer knows or ought to know assists in or encourages any dishonesty, crime or fraud.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 10.11 / r 2.4 partial
A lawyer must take all reasonable steps to prevent any person from perpetrating a crime or fraud through the lawyer's law practice. ... A lawyer must not advise a client to engage in conduct that the lawyer knows to be fraudulent or criminal, nor assist any person in an activity that the lawyer knows is fraudulent or criminal.
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 no clear equivalent
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 5.01 Commentary 6 / Practice Direction P (Principle 8.01 appendix) strong
solicitors must not accept instructions where to do so will involve a breach of law or professional misconduct, e.g. those relating to anti-money laundering ... See Practice Direction P paragraphs 18 to 28 in relation to anti-money laundering. ... any law firm, solicitor or foreign lawyer practising in Hong Kong who fails to comply with the mandatory provisions may face disciplinary proceedings.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
Cases dealing with this duty
131 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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Michael Lloyd Wilson
Struck off | Formal order of Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 31, 2021. || RESULT: Struck off | Sanction Hearing of Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 31, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DIS…
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Michael Lloyd Wilson
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered October 31, 2020. || Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 31, 2021. || Formal Order View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLIN…
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Anthony O'Gorman
In the matter of Anthony O'Gorman, solicitor, formerly practising as Anthony F O'Gorman and Co, Solicitors, at St Michael’s Road, Gorey, Co Wexford, and in the matter of an application by the Law Society of Ireland to t…
fine View decision -
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Stephen Michael Oakley
Criminal Convictions
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Ross Ian McKay
Criminal Convictions
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Maria Williams
Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Thomas D'Alton
In the matter of Thomas D’Alton, a solicitor practising as James J Kearns & Son, Solicitors, Portumna, Co Galway, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2015 [2017/DT114, 2018/DT03, and High Court record 2018 no …
suspension View decision -
Mbolokele Nsimba
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Timothy Peter Ackrel
Breaches
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Catherine Jane Limbert (aka Williamson)
Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Biplab Kumar Poddar
Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Milan Patel
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Charles Valentine Fraser-Macnamara
Breaches
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David Herlihy
In the matter of David Herlihy, solicitor, formerly practising as principal of David Herlihy, Solicitors, Lord Edward Street, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [9286/DT90/15 and…
strike_off View decision -
Ernest Hedwa Mugadza
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Michael Lloyd Wilson
Criminal Convictions
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Maureen Chinedu Agada & Ademola Weston
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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.