Penelope Ann CORBETT

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

Solicitor charged with two counts of professional misconduct: failing to attend to a client's conveyancing settlement, and a trust account defalcation of $18,945.55. She admitted the charges. The Tribunal found both charges made out, characterised the trust conduct as egregious, and found her not a fit and proper person. Although the tribunal noted her false receipts and rejected her explanation, it did not make an express finding of dishonesty. Her name was ordered removed from the roll and she was ordered to pay costs on the standard basis.

Duties found breached:

• Honesty
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Trust account breaches strike at the heart of the solicitor-client relationship
• Issuing 29 false receipts in an attempt to correct the accounting error
• Explanation for the trust transactions found to ring hollow and not credible

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the particulars of both charges
• No criminal history
• Expressed remorse
• Has not practised since bankruptcy and does not intend to practice
• Personal circumstances - aged 58, single, unemployed, reliant on social security