26 In Re Wakeling and the Legal Profession Act 1987, unreported, Legal Services Tribunal, No. 5 of 1998, 16 September 1998, a solicitor failed to comply with an undertaking to the Law Society to furnish requisitions relating to a probate application. There was reason to believe that after about one week the requisitions were no longer required. The Tribunal outlined some mitigating factors arising out of the solicitor's personal situation, but also referred to an earlier private reprimand for unsatisfactory professional conduct, relating to the probate application. The solicitor freely acknowledged his failure to comply. Although the Tribunal made a finding of professional misconduct, it did not consider that a fine was called for and ordered only that the solicitor be reprimanded.
27 In Law Society of New South Wales v Waterhouse [2002] NSWADT 204, the undertaking breached by the respondent solicitor was to deliver a certificate of title to another solicitor. The Tribunal noted some mitigating circumstances relating to the undertaking itself, in view of which it made a finding of unsatisfactory professional misconduct and imposed a fine of $2,000. It did not refer to the alternative penalty of a reprimand.
28 In Law Society of New South Wales v Hinde [2005] NSWADT 199, the respondent solicitor failed over a period of three years to comply with an undertaking given at the settlement of a sale of land to pay the commission owing to the estate agent involved in the sale. The Tribunal made a finding of professional misconduct and imposed as penalty both a reprimand and a fine of $3,000. In so doing, it took into account the following matters, set out in its decision at [32]:-
32 The practitioner also wrote on 11 March 2003 to the complainant. That letter is important in the Tribunal's assessment of the practitioner's conduct. It is consistent with a clear trend in the practitioner's approach to this matter, an approach which in the view of the Tribunal reflects poorly on the practitioner and could fairly be described as bringing an honourable profession potentially into disrepute. The practitioner with his accusations, threats and failure until shortly before the hearing of this matter to honour his undertaking has in the Tribunal's view effectively sought to portray himself as "the victim". The problem is, and has been, the undertaking by the Solicitor and his failure to promptly honour it. Rather than be acknowledged as the "victim" the practitioner is clearly by his conduct the "villain " because of his failure to honour the undertaking at settlement which default was a continuing one from 13 May 2002 to 7 April 2005.
29 In Legal Services Commissioner v Piper [2006] NSWADT 12, the respondent solicitor gave an undertaking to the Legal Services Commissioner to give 'highest priority' to responding to correspondence from the Commissioner. He in fact delayed over eleven months, despite receiving five reminder letters, to reply as required to a particular letter. Having made a finding of unsatisfactory professional conduct, the Tribunal ordered that he be reprimanded and that he pay a fine of $1,000. The Tribunal noted at [58] his apparent failure to acknowledge at any time that he had been in breach of his undertaking. It also referred, at [61], to the circumstances in which he had previously been reprimanded for failure to comply with an undertaking to send a file to a solicitor. At [62], it explained its decision on penalty as follows:-
62 On account of these matters, we consider that a reprimand, such as was administered in February 2002 for a similar instance of unsatisfactory professional conduct, would be an insufficient penalty standing alone. We think that a fine is also warranted, though in view of the Practitioner's personal circumstances at the relevant time it should not be a heavy one.
30 In Legal Services Commissioner v McCarthy, unreported, Administrative Decisions Tribunal, 2 June 2008, the Tribunal dealt ex parte with a breach of an undertaking by solicitor to reply within 28 days to correspondence from Commissioner. There was a relatively brief delay before he finally replied. In previous proceedings, he had consented to a finding of professional misconduct, a reprimand and a fine of $2,000, on account of having failed to comply with a notice under section 660 of the Act (requiring information to be furnished to the Commissioner) and with an earlier undertaking to the Commissioner. The Tribunal again found professional misconduct, and imposed a reprimand and a fine of $2,500.