JANET WALTON

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

The State Administrative Tribunal found legal practitioner Janet Walton guilty of six counts of unprofessional conduct (two matters) and unsatisfactory conduct by unprofessional conduct (four matters), arising largely from her improper meddling in District Court litigation between former client Thomas Hughes and his son, disclosure of confidential client information, issuing baseless bills of costs, and grossly discourteous letters to the Chief Judge. The Tribunal expressly noted no dishonesty in the trust/costs matter. Finding the conduct too serious for its own disciplinary powers, the Tribunal transmitted a report to the Supreme Court (full bench) with a view to striking off, suspended the practitioner from practice pending that determination, and ordered her to pay costs of $15,500. Compensation was left to be renewed before the Supreme Court.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No improper communication with the court
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• No acting against a former client
• Prompt accounting and return of money

Aggravating factors:

• Course of conduct described as 'utterly deplorable' and 'quite disgraceful'
• Repeated persistence in bringing baseless District Court applications despite adverse findings each time
• Grossly discourteous and improper correspondence to a senior judicial officer
• Ignoring a professional obligation about which she was aware and warned
• Failure to attend the final hearing despite full notice

Mitigating factors:

• No suggestion of dishonesty or failure to account in the trust/bill of costs matter (VR 22); settlement statement had been provided to client
• Attended most earlier directions hearings and filed documents in the proceedings

⚠ figures not found verbatim in the source were dropped: ["unverified_costs_amount=15500"]