No abuse of process or coercive powers court

2.6 You do not waste the court's time. 2.4 You only make assertions or put forward statements, representations or submissions to the court or others which are properly arguable. 1.2 You do not abuse your position by taking unfair advantage of clients or others.

SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗

rC3.2 you must not abuse your role as an advocate; rC7 Where you are acting as an advocate, your duty not to abuse your role includes the following obligations: ...

BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗

not abuse an attorney-at-law's role as an advocate (R.2.5 applies)

Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy

A solicitor must take care to ensure that the solicitor's advice to invoke the coercive powers of a court: 21.1.1 is reasonably justified by the material then available to the solicitor; 21.1.2 is appropriate for the robust advancement of the client's case on its merits; 21.1.3 is not given principally in order to harass or embarrass a person; and 21.1.4 is not given principally in order to gain some collateral advantage for the client or the solicitor or a third party out of court.

Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗

A barrister must take care to ensure that the barrister's advice to invoke the coercive powers of a court: ... (c) is not made principally in order to harass or embarrass a person; and (d) is not made principally in order to gain some collateral advantage for the client or the barrister or the instructing solicitor out of court.

Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗

A solicitor should avoid improper or abusive litigation, predatory litigation, abuse of process, taking unfair advantage, misleading the court, and conducting frivolous and/or vexatious cases.

Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗

not to engage in conduct which is prejudicial to the administration of justice; ... Barristers when conducting a case must not make statements or ask questions which are merely scandalous or are intended only for the purpose of vilifying, insulting or annoying a witness or some other person.

Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗

An Attorney shall not by his actions stir up strife or litigation, and where it is in the interest of his client he shall seek to obtain reasonable settlements of disputes.

Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗

Members must... b) not abuse their role as an advocate (R.3.5 applies)... Where a member is acting as an advocate, their duty not to abuse their role includes the following obligations... [G.3.8] Members must not institute proceedings on behalf of a client which the member reasonably believes to be instituted only for the purpose of gratifying the client's anger, ill will or malice towards another person or persons.

Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗

When acting as an advocate, a lawyer shall not abuse the process of the tribunal by instituting or prosecuting proceedings which, although legal in themselves, are clearly motivated by malice on the part of the client and are brought solely for the purpose of injuring the other party

Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗

When acting as an advocate, a lawyer must not: (a) abuse the process of the tribunal by instituting or prosecuting proceedings that, although legal in themselves, are clearly motivated by malice on the part of the client and are brought solely for the purpose of injuring the other party;

Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗

A lawyer must use legal processes only for proper purposes. A lawyer must not use, or knowingly assist in using, the law or legal processes for the purpose of causing unnecessary embarrassment, distress, or inconvenience to another person's reputation, interests, or occupation.

Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗

You must maintain due respect and courtesy towards the court while honourably pursuing the interests of your clients.

Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗

9 Conduct of proceedings

Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗

A solicitor must not act or continue to act where to do so would amount to an abuse of process.

Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗

In all cases it is the duty of a practising barrister to guard against being made the channel for questions or statements which are only intended to insult or annoy either the witness or any other person or otherwise are an abuse of Counsel's function, and to exercise his own judgment both as to the substance and the form of the questions put or statements made.

Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗