The duty in context
Uphold public trust in the profession integrity
The lawyer must not behave in any way, professionally or personally, that diminishes public trust and confidence in them or the profession or brings it into disrepute.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code Principle 2 strong 1,063 cases
You act: 1.2 in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons.
SRA Principles · 2023 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook CD5; rC8; gC16 strong 148 cases
CD5 You must not behave in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in you or in the profession. rC8 You must not do anything which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine your honesty, integrity (CD3) or independence (CD4).
BSB Handbook Part 2: Code of Conduct · 5.0 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 P.2 strong
Attorneys-at-law shall not, in their professional and personal lives, act in any way which brings or which may reasonably bring the legal profession or the provision of legal services in the Cayman Islands into disrepute.
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 5.1.2 strong 144 cases
A solicitor must not engage in conduct... which:... 5.1.2 is likely, to a material degree to: (i) be prejudicial to, or diminish the public confidence in, the administration of justice; or (ii) bring the profession into disrepute.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules r12(c) strong 51 cases
A barrister must not engage in conduct which is: ... (c) likely to diminish public confidence in the legal profession or the administration of justice or otherwise bring the legal profession into disrepute.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch1 — Core values: General; Ch9 — Accounts regulations: General strong 7 cases
Solicitors should always observe and promote the core values of the profession and avoid any conduct or activities inconsistent with those values... solicitors handling clients' monies must act with integrity, in the client's best interests, and in the interests of the good reputation of solicitors and the solicitors' profession.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 2.3(c); Rule 2.2 strong 7 cases
not to engage in conduct (whether in pursuit of their profession or otherwise) which may bring the Barristers' profession into disrepute, which may injure the dignity and high standing of the profession, or which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence placed in them or in the profession;
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon I(b); Canon VIII(b) strong 192 cases
An Attorney shall at all times maintain the honour and dignity of the profession and shall abstain from behaviour which may tend to discredit the profession ... [VIII(b)] an Attorney shall determine his conduct by acting in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and efficiency of the legal system and the legal profession.
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code P.2 strong
Members must not, in their professional and personal lives, act in any way which brings or which may fairly bring the legal profession or the provision of legal services in Jersey into disrepute.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 2.1-2; r 2.1-1 commentary [2] strong
2.1-2 A lawyer has a duty to uphold the standards and reputation of the legal profession and to assist in the advancement of its goals, organizations and institutions. [Commentary 2.1-1[2]: a lawyer's conduct should reflect favourably on the legal profession, inspire the confidence, respect and trust of clients and of the community, and avoid even the appearance of impropriety.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 2.2-2 strong 14 cases
A lawyer has a duty to uphold the standards and reputation of the legal profession and to assist in the advancement of its goals, organizations and institutions.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 10.2 strong
A lawyer must not engage in conduct that tends to bring the profession into disrepute.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct B1.2 partial 24 cases
You must be trustworthy and act honestly at all times so that your personal integrity is beyond question.
Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 4(b) partial 9 cases
A legal practitioner’s duty to the legal practitioner’s client is subject only to the legal practitioner’s duty to the court, and must at all times be fulfilled in a manner that upholds the standing and integrity of the Singapore legal system and the legal profession in Singapore.
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 1.01 / r 2(d) Solicitors' Practice Rules strong
A solicitor shall not ... do or permit to be done on his behalf anything which compromises or impairs or is likely to compromise or impair— ... (d) his own reputation or the reputation of the profession;
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 4.1(b)(ii) strong
not to engage in conduct (whether in pursuit of his profession or otherwise) which is:- ... (ii) likely to bring the profession of barrister into disrepute or otherwise diminish public confidence in the profession of barrister;
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
1,615 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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Anthony David Davis
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Mark Feely
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2011
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Richard Jefferies
Authorisation of Individuals Regulations 2019, Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Adrian Robert Berkeley
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Ford, Christopher John
Failed to comply with costs disclosure obligations under ss 174, 175 and 176 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) (Uniform Law) Failed to comply with obligations and requirements under ss 136, 137, 138, 146 and 147…
Lawyer to undertake and complete further legal education Reprimand Recommendations for imposition of conditions on practising certificate requiring the Solicitor to engage the services of an external bookkeeper and comply with reporting requirements concerning specified work to be undertaken by that bookkeeper $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 -
Ryan Sean Jack Williams
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, Sexual Misconduct, SRA Principles 2019
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Steven David Simpkins
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, SRA Principles 2019
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Golinelli, John David
Failure to comply with s 155(1) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law NSW (external examination of trust records) Failure to comply with r 54(1)(b) of the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 (give statement regard…
Renewal and immediate suspension of practicing certificate for the year ending 30 June 2027 pursuant to s 78(2) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) (Uniform Law); and On 22 April 2026 the practising certificate was suspended for the practising year ending 30 June 2026 $0.00 Specified Duration: Manager appointed for a period of 1 year Manager Appointed: Yes Manager Appointed View decision -
William Peter Dooley
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Grenville Royston Young
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Anjum Shahzad
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Shashi Patel
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Money Laundering Regulations, Solicitors Accounts Rules 1998, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, …
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Clive Graham Wood
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2019
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Richard Alexander Dobson
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2019
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Habibur Choudhury; Archstone Solicitors Limited
Code of Conduct for Firms 2019
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Anthony Nowogrodzki
Criminal Convictions, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Paul Ignatius Boylan
In 2018, the Practitioner breached his fundamental duties to act in his client’s best interests in breach of ASCR 4.1.1 and failed to avoid any compromise to his integrity and professional independence in breach of ASCR…
Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand View decision -
Mark Grenville Davies
Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Sarinjit Singh Bahia
Account Rules breaches, Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Misappropriation of Client Account, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, S…
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Raymond John McKeeve
Code of Conduct 2011, SRA Principles 2011
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.