The duty in context
No baseless or threatened misconduct report profession
The lawyer must not make or threaten a professional-misconduct allegation or report without a genuine, reasonably held and bona fide belief that it applies.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code no clear equivalent
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC67 strong 50 cases
rC67 You must never make, or threaten to make, a report under Rule rC66 without a genuine and reasonably held belief that Rule rC66 applies.
BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 no clear equivalent
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 32.1 strong 196 cases
A solicitor must not make an allegation against another Australian legal practitioner of unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct unless the allegation is made bona fide and the solicitor believes on reasonable grounds that available material by which the allegation could be supported provides a proper basis for it.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules no clear equivalent
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide no clear equivalent
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics no clear equivalent
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code no clear equivalent
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.2-5(b); r 7.1-3 commentary [1] partial
3.2-5 A lawyer shall not, in an attempt to gain a benefit for a client, threaten, or advise a client to threaten, without reasonable and lawful justification ... (b) to make a complaint to a regulatory authority. [7.1-3 commentary [1]: In all cases, the report must be made without malice or ulterior motive. 3.2-5 commentary [1]: It is an abuse of the process of a court or, ordinarily, a regulatory authority to threaten to make or advance a charge or complaint in order to secure the satisfaction of a private grievance.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 7.1-3, commentary [2] partial 41 cases
Nothing in this paragraph is meant to interfere with the lawyer-client relationship. In all cases, the report must be made without malice or ulterior motive.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 2.10 strong
A lawyer must not use, or threaten to use, the complaints or disciplinary process for an improper purpose.
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 29 (Allegations against another legal practitioner) partial 11 cases
29 Allegations against another legal practitioner
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide no clear equivalent
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 10.50 partial
A practising barrister shall not make any allegation of misconduct or dishonesty against another barrister unless such allegation is supported by reasonably credible evidence.
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
522 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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RICHARD JAMES LAWSON
Professional Misconduct, referral to Supreme Court
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Robert Glen Orris
Rule 3-7.1 Consent Agreement | Summary
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Dexter Charles Anthony Wadsworth
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 24, 2021. || Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered January 18, 2022. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTE…
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Martin Doyle
The respondent engaged in professional misconduct.
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Angela Walker
The respondents conduct amounts to professional misconduct
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Tracey Anne SMITH
In respect of charges 1-5 & 7-12 the Respondent is guilty of professional misconduct.
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Edward Pene
In respect of Charge 4, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in professional misconduct. In respect of each of Charges 2, 3 and 5, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in unsatisfactory professional …
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George Roland Holland
Rule 3-7.1 Consent Agreement | Summary
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KELVIN KA CHUEN TANG
Professional Misconduct
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Alison Hartvigsen
Charges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in professional misconduct.
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Michelle Cherie Harrington
In respect of each of Charges 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in professional misconduct. In respect of each of Charges 4 and 5, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in unsatis…
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Craig Leonard Stevenson
In respect of each of Charges 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in professional misconduct
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Leonardo Fernando Christie
Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 24th, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 199/2020 IN THE MATTER OF TINA GOLLAB and LEONARDO F…
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Kernaghan, Aaron Noel
Professional Misconduct Breached an undertaking to the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner Breach section 137 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) - Certain trust money to be deposited in general trust accoun…
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Jacqueline Marie Minto
Guilty of Professional Misconduct, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 19, 2021. || RESULT: Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 19, 2021. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMI…
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Jacqueline Marie Minto
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 19, 2021. || RESULT: Guilty of Professional Misconduct, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 19, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY C…
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Stephen James Keliher
Guilty of professional misconduct
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DAVID CHARLES MIZEN
Professional Misconduct. Referral to Supreme Court (full bench) recommending name be removed from the roll of practitioners
Professional Misconduct. Referral to Supreme Court (full bench) recommending name be removed from the roll of practitioners 1 PDF View decision -
Jennifer Messado
Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 29, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL MADE ON COMPLAINT NO: 145/2015 IN THE MATTER OF …
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Buckley, Nathan Andrew
Statements encouraging breaches of law Making unfounded allegations against other practitioners Failure to provide information to the regulatory authority Offensive, threatening and/or abusive language and threatening t…
Fine Reprimand Solicitor to undertake and complete further legal education $2,500.00 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 -
Paul Christopher Doroshenko
Rule 3-7.1 Consent Agreement | Summary
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.