The duty in context
Disclose adverse law to the court court
The lawyer must draw the court's attention to all relevant binding or appellate authority, legislation and procedural matters, even where adverse to the client's case.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 2.7 strong 21 cases
2.7 You draw the court's attention to relevant cases and statutory provisions, or procedural irregularities of which you are aware, and which are likely to have a material effect on the outcome of the proceedings.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC3.4; gC5 strong 7 cases
rC3.4 you must take reasonable steps to ensure that the court has before it all relevant decisions and legislative provisions; gC5 Your duty under Rule rC3.3 includes drawing to the attention of the court any decision or provision which may be adverse to the interests of your client. It is particularly important where you are appearing against a litigant who is not legally represented.
BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.2.1(d) strong
take reasonable steps to ensure that the Court has before it all relevant decisions and statutory provisions
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rules 19.6; 19.8 strong 9 cases
19.6 A solicitor must, at the appropriate time in the hearing of the case if the court has not yet been informed of that matter, inform the court of: 19.6.1 any binding authority; 19.6.2 where there is no binding authority, any authority decided by an Australian appellate court; and 19.6.3 any applicable legislation, known to the solicitor and which the solicitor has reasonable grounds to believe to be directly in point, against the client's case.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules r31 strong 7 cases
A barrister must, at the appropriate time in the hearing of the case if the court has not yet been informed of that matter, inform the court of: (a) any binding authority; (b) where there is no binding authority any authority decided by an Australian appellate court; and (c) any applicable legislation; known to the barrister and which the barrister has reasonable grounds to believe to be directly in point, against the client's case.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch5 — The solicitor advocate, para 1 strong 5 cases
The advocate has a duty to assist the court in reaching a just decision and, in furtherance of that aim, the solicitor must advise the court of relevant case law and statutory provisions.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 5.19 strong 5 cases
In a civil case Barristers must, at the appropriate time in the proceedings, inform the court of any relevant decision on a point of law and, in particular, of any binding authority or of any applicable legislation of which they are aware and which the Barrister believes to be in point whether it be for or against their contention.
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics no clear equivalent
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.3.1 d) strong
Members must... d) take reasonable steps to ensure that the court has before it all relevant decisions and statutory provisions.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 5.1-2(i) strong
When acting as an advocate, a lawyer shall not ... deliberately refrain from informing the tribunal of any binding authority that the lawyer considers to be directly on point and that has not been mentioned by an opponent
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 5.1-2(i) strong 3 cases
When acting as an advocate, a lawyer must not: ... (i) deliberately refrain from informing a tribunal of any binding authority that the lawyer considers to be directly on point and that has not been mentioned by another party;
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 13.11 strong
The duty to the court includes a duty to put all relevant and significant law known to the lawyer before the court, whether this material supports the client's case or not. ... this duty continues until final judgment is given in the proceeding.
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 10.03 Commentary 7 strong
the court must be advised of relevant cases and statutory provisions by the advocates on both sides. If one of them omits a case or provision or makes an incorrect reference to a case or provision, it is the duty of the other to draw attention to it even if it assists his opponent's case.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 10.38 strong
In civil and, subject to the provisions of paragraph 10.60, in criminal cases, a practising barrister must ensure that the Court is informed of any relevant decision or legislative provision, of which he is aware, whether it be for or against his contention.
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
59 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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Kesakapillai Raveenderan
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Lawrence L. Haynes
Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 04, 2013. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT No. 140/2009 IN THE MATTER of ROBERT HENRY and LAWRENC…
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Katherine MA Ryan
In the matter of Katherine MA Ryan, a solicitor formerly practising under the style and title of Ryan & Company, Solicitors, at 42 Woodley Park, Kilmacud, Dublin 14, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6…
strike_off View decision -
Bradfield, John Gordon
1. Misappropriated moneys entrusted to him 2. Failure to account for moneys entrusted to him 3. Borrowed money from clients - breached Rule 12 of the Revised Professional Conduct Rules 4. Breached Section 61 of the Lega…
Costs Removal of practitioner's name from the Roll of Local Lawyers $0.00 Proceedings Instituted View decision -
MARTIN LEE SEGLER
Professional Misconduct and Suspended
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MARTIN LEE SEGLER
Unsatisfactory Conduct by Unprofessional Conduct
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Slowgrove, Bradley
1. He settled and advised the sending of a letter by his instructing solicitor to a Magistrate to discourage the Magistrate from sitting and the letter was intended to inappropriately influence, or attempt to influence,…
Removal of practitioner's name from the Roll of Local Lawyers Reprimand $0.00 Proceedings Instituted 1 PDF View decision -
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Paul Michael Hewitt & Another
Breaches, Client Money, Delays, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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JOSEPHINE PEPE
Unsatisfactory Conduct by reason of Illegal Conduct
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John Robert Peter Middleton
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Richard John Swinburn
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Edward William Ellis
Failures, Others
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Bernardo De Abbeville Paz-Penia De Vire
Breaches, Failures
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Milton Firman
Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Ian Dudley Shaw and Anthony John Nicholas Britnell
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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John Charles Arnold
Breaches, Failures, Others
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Matthew Jones
Others
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Damian P Moynihan
In the matter of Damian P Moynihan and Sean A Mulvihill, solicitors, formerly carrying on practice under the style and title of Moynihan Mulvihill & Co at 6 Cornmarket Street, Cork, and in the matter of the Solicitors A…
strike_off View decision -
Deborah Ann McKay
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Michael John Harvey
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Others
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Nicholas Adrian Lawrence
Failures, Others
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Des Murphy
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Barrington E. Frankson
Struck off, Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 01, 1999 | Court of Appeal Decision | Privy Council Decision View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL C…
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Sandra Fenwick
Others
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.