The duty in context
Disclose material information to client client
The lawyer must disclose to the client all material information of which they are aware concerning the matter, subject to the overriding duty of confidentiality and limited exceptions.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 6.4 strong 83 cases
6.4 Where you are acting for a client on a matter, you make the client aware of all information material to the matter of which you have knowledge, except when: ...
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook gC51; rC17 partial 1 case
gC51 CD2 and Rules rC15.5 and rC17 require you, subject to Rule rC16, to put your client's interests ahead of your own and those of any other person. If you consider that your professional client, another solicitor or intermediary, another barrister, or any other person acting on behalf of your client has been negligent, you should ensure that your client is advised of this.
BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.5.2.1 strong
An attorney-at-law shall disclose to a client all information of which the attorney-at-law is aware which is material to that client's matter regardless of the source of the information, subject to the duty of confidentiality in R.5.1, which always overrides the duty to disclose
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 7.1 partial 5 cases
A solicitor must provide clear and timely advice to assist a client to understand relevant legal issues and to make informed choices about action to be taken during the course of a matter, consistent with the terms of the engagement.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules rr38-39 partial 1 case
A barrister must seek to assist the client to understand the issues in the case and the client's possible rights and obligations, sufficiently to permit the client to give proper instructions ... A barrister must inform the client or the instructing solicitor about the alternatives to fully contested adjudication of the case which are reasonably available to the client.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch3 — General (conflict of interest) strong
A solicitor owes a duty to a client to disclose all relevant information to them. This follows from the fact that the solicitor is the agent of the client, who is the principal. In practice, this means that a solicitor must be careful not to accept information that is to be kept confidential from the client.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 3.26 partial
Where a Barrister receives on behalf of a client an offer of settlement and the client is available for consultation and to instruct the Barrister, the Barrister, in the presence of the solicitor, shall inform the client fully of all the terms of the offer.
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon IV(r) partial 105 cases
An Attorney shall deal with his client's business with all due expedition and shall whenever reasonably so required by the client provide him with all information as to the progress of the client's business with due expedition.
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.2.2 strong
Members must disclose to a client... all information of which the member or their employee is aware which is material to that client's matter regardless of the source of the information, subject to: a) the duty of confidentiality in R.2.1, which always overrides the duty to disclose.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.2-2 commentary [1.1] strong
A lawyer has a duty of candour with the client on matters relevant to the retainer. This arises out of the rules and the lawyer's fiduciary obligations to the client. The duty of candour requires a lawyer to inform the client of information known to the lawyer that may affect the interests of the client in the matter.
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 3.2-2 strong
When advising a client, a lawyer must be honest and candid and must inform the client of all information known to the lawyer that may affect the interests of the client in the matter.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 7 strong
A lawyer must promptly disclose to a client all information that the lawyer has or acquires that is relevant to the matter in respect of which the lawyer is engaged by the client.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct B1.9 partial 1 case
You must communicate effectively with your clients and others
Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 no clear equivalent
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 8.03 strong
A solicitor is under a duty to pass on to his client and use all information which is material to the subject matter of the retainer regardless of the source of that information. There are, however, exceptional circumstances where such duty does not apply.
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
196 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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W. Anthony Pearson
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 20, 2022. || Guilty of Misconduct in a Professional Respect | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered February 28, 2022 || Formal Order (PDF) View PDF in Full Sc…
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Sean O’Neil Kinghorn
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 13, 2022. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 16, 2021 || Formal Order delivered April 19, 2022 (PDF) View PD…
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Tanya Latoya Walters Powell
Restitution ordered, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered March 09, 2022. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered December 3, 2021. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLI…
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W. Anthony Pearson
Guilty of Misconduct in a Professional Respect | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered February 28, 2022. || Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 20, 2022 || Formal Order View PDF in Full Screen …
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Sean O’Neil Kinghorn
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 16, 2021 || Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 13, 2022 || Formal Order delivered April 19, 2022 (PDF) View PDF…
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Seymour George Stewart
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 03, 2021. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 26, 2021. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE…
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Lorraine Louise Ramson
Struck off, Payment Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered October 09, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 263/2017 IN THE MATTER OF CLAUDINE…
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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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Dwight St. George Reece
Appeal dismissed, GLC Disciplinary Committee Decision Affirmed | Court of Appeal decision delivered July 30, 2021. View PDF [2021] JMCA Misc 1 JAMAICA IN THE COURT OF APPEAL BEFORE: THE HON MR JUSTICE F WILLIAMS JA THE …
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Seymour George Stewart
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 26, 2021. || Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered November 03, 2021. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE…
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Lauren Marie Boyd
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 16, 2021. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 29, 2021. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF TH…
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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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An Bui
Charges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, there is a finding that the Respondent engaged in professional misconduct.
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Rudolph Emanuel Alphonso Muir
Struck off, Restitution Ordered, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered October 31, 2020. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 76/2018 IN THE MATTER O…
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Arlene Ann Gaynor
Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered August 18, 2020. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 29, 2020. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCI…
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Arlene Ann Gaynor
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 29, 2020. || Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered August 18, 2020. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCI…
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Lorraine Louise Ramson
Reprimanded, Restitution ordered, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 23, 2020. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered December 20, 2019. View PDF in full scr…
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Hope Marcia Ramsay-Stewart
Guilty of Misconduct in a Professional Respect | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered March 07, 2020. || Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 08, 2020. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIP…
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Gregory M.D. Lopez
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered March 07, 2020. || Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered October 27, 2023. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE O…
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Rudolph Emanuel Alphonso Muir
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered February 22, 2020. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 76/2018 IN THE MATTER OF NICOLE…
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Charles Alcides Pullar Ganga-Singh
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered February 12, 2020. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered December 07, 2019. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTE…
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Lorraine Louise Ramson
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered December 20, 2019. || Reprimanded, Restitution ordered, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 23, 2020. View PDF in full scr…
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Richard D. Bonner
Fined, Reimbursement ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 27, 2019. | Formal Order View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 151/2018 IN THE MATTER OF…
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Keith A. Jarrett
Suspended, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 15, 2019. || Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 27, 2019. View PDF FORMAL ORDER OF THE DISC…
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Raymond Clough
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 11, 2019. || Suspended, Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 26, 2019. || Formal Order July 26, 2019 View PDF DECISION …
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.