§ discipline

No direct dealing with represented party integrity

The lawyer must not communicate or negotiate directly with a person known to be represented by another lawyer except through that lawyer or with consent.

10 cases 10% strike-off

How the codes express this duty

E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code no clear equivalent
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook gC24 partial
In addition to the above, where the other side is legally represented and you are conducting correspondence in respect of the particular matter, you are expected to correspond at all times with that other party's legal representative – otherwise you may be regarded as breaching CD3 or Rule C9.

BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗

Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.11.3 strong
An attorney-at-law or a recognised law entity shall not communicate in respect of a particular matter with the client of another recognised law entity in respect of that matter except through that recognised law entity or with that other recognised law entity's consent

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

AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 33.1 strong 10 cases
In representing a client, a solicitor shall not communicate about the subject of the representation with a person the lawyer knows to be represented by another practitioner unless: 33.1.1 the other practitioner has previously consented...

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

AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules r51 strong
A barrister must not deal directly with a party other than his or her client who is legally represented unless: (a) the substance of the dealing is solely to enquire whether the person is represented and, if so, by whom; (b) the legal practitioner representing the party has previously consented; or (c) the barrister believes on reasonable grounds that [urgent circumstances].

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

IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch7 — Communicating with the client of another solicitor: General strong
A solicitor should not interview or otherwise communicate with any party on the other side of a matter who, to the solicitor's knowledge, has retained another solicitor to act in the matter about which the first solicitor wishes to communicate, except with that solicitor's consent.

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

IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 5.13 strong
where the other party or parties to a case are legally represented, a Barrister may not discuss the merits of a case with the parties of the other sides without the consent of and presence of both his instructing solicitor and the solicitor and/or barrister for the other side.

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

JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon VI(f) strong
An Attorney shall not in any way communicate upon a subject in controversy or attempt to negotiate or compromise a matter directly with any party represented by another Attorney except through such other Attorney or with his prior consent.

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

JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.10.3 strong
Members or their firm must not communicate directly or indirectly on a particular matter with a person represented by the firm of another member on the matter except through that firm or with that other firm's consent.

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

ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 7.2-6 strong
Subject to rules 7.2-6A and 7.2-7, if a person is represented by a legal practitioner in respect of a matter, a lawyer shall not, except through or with the consent of the legal practitioner (a) approach or communicate or deal with the person on the matter; or (b) attempt to negotiate or compromise the matter directly with the person.

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

BC Lawyers BC Code r 7.2-6 strong
Subject to rules 7.2-6.1 and 7.2-7, if a person is represented by a lawyer in respect of a matter, another lawyer must not, except through or with the consent of the person's lawyer: (a) approach, communicate or deal with the person on the matter; or (b) attempt to negotiate or compromise the matter directly with the person.

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

NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 10.4 strong
A lawyer acting in a matter must not communicate directly with a person who the lawyer knows is represented by another lawyer in that matter except as authorised in this rule.

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 31 (Communication with another legal practitioner) partial
31 Communication with another legal practitioner

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

HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 11.02 / Principle 10.21 strong
In general, a solicitor who has been instructed in a matter should not interview or otherwise communicate with anyone on that matter who to his knowledge has retained another solicitor to act in that matter except with that other solicitor's consent.

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

HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent

Cases dealing with this duty

Clear

10 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern

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.