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[2012] VCAT 373
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2012-04-02
Mr P
Original judgment source is linked above.
Legal practitioner, failure to lodge Income Tax Returns and Goods and Services Tax Business Activity Statements, bankruptcy, professional misconduct, whether presently fit and proper person to engage in legal practice.
Legal Services Commissioner v Turner (Legal Practice) [2012] VCAT 373
(a) his conviction for tax offences on 18 June 2002 namely him not lodging tax returns on time for the financial years 1 July 1996 to 30 June 2000;
(b) his conviction for tax offences on 28 May 2003 namely his non-compliance with the order of the Magistrates Court made 18 June 2002 by not lodging tax returns for the financial years 1 July 1996 to 30 June 2000 within 60 days of 18 June 2002;
(c) his conviction for tax offences on 24 April 2007 namely:
(i) him not lodging on time an Income Tax Return for each of the financial years from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 2005; and
(ii) him not lodging on time BAS returns for the consecutive quarters from 1 March 2002 to 30 September 2006;
(d) him becoming an insolvent under administration pursuant to an insolvency agreement under Part X of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth), namely:
(i) his failure to disclose on time income he earned in professional practice as a barrister for financial years 1 July 1996 to 30 June 2006;
(ii) his failure to make provision for and to pay on time income tax on income he earned in professional practice as a barrister for financial years 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 and from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 2006; and
(iii) his failure to disclose, to make provision for and to pay GST on payments he received from 1 July 2000 to 30 September 2006 in professional practice as a barrister.
(a) nine charges of breaching Section 8C(1)(a) of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) for failing to furnish an income tax return for each of the financial years from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 2005; and
(b) eighteen charges of breaching Section 8C(1)(a) of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) for failing to lodge BAS returns for the consecutive quarters from 1 March 2002 to 30 September 2006.
(a) provisional tax of $8,799 in the financial year ending 30 June 1997;
(b) provision of tax of $31,978 in the financial year ending 30 June 1999.
(a) he paid provisional tax of $8,799 in the financial year ending 30 June 1997;
(b) he paid provisional tax of $31,978 in the financial year ending 30 June 1999.
Where there is misconduct prima facie requiring at that time a striking off order on the basis of then unfitness, the substance of the question whether when the matter comes for decision some years later is not dissimilar to the question arising upon an application for re-admission, namely whether it appears that there is material before the court to lead it to conclude that the past proved unfitness has been changed to fitness. The ultimate onus is on the Law Society, but where there is admitted professional misconduct and a claim of rehabilitation or of fitness replacing unfitness, the court will look to what evidence there is to establish this change and will expect he who claims there is such a change to point to the evidence that there is.
The comments of Moffit P were cited (at [60]) with approval by Campbell JA (with whose reasons Hodgson JA and Handley AJA agreed) in Stanoevski v The Council of the Law Society of NSW [2008] NSWCA 93.
(a) Mr Turner engaged in a repetitive failure of his legal and civic obligations by not lodging timely tax returns and BAS returns or paying income tax and GST;
(b) while the period of his failure is less than in cases such as Cummins, a failure to meet tax obligations for similar periods has been held to be so serious as to show probable permanent unfitness for legal practice justifying striking off the roll of legal practitioners (see, for example, Hewlett where a failure to lodge tax returns for 11 consecutive years was characterised as a default of "substantial proportion") or to justify a suspension of practising certificate for a period (see, for example, Pillay where a failure to lodge tax returns for six years and to make provision for eight years led to a suspension of his practising certificate for a year);
(c) a mitigating factor in this case is that Mr Turner does not appear to have lived a lavish lifestyle particularly as he provided, at least until about June 2005, a portion of his earnings to support his ex-wife and son;
(d) Mr Turner's conduct was deliberate in that he was aware of the need to lodge tax returns but did not. He preferred to meet his debts to his family and his own expenses rather than pay tax. He waited for the ATO to chase him for his outstanding returns. Even when prosecuted for failing to file tax returns, he did not take steps to put his past affairs in order or to put his future affairs in order;
(e) when Mr Turner's disclosed his conduct to the Victorian Bar Inc, his disclosure was not voluntary as it was made to satisfy a requirement in the Conduct Rules of the Victorian Bar Inc. Further, it took place after the Australian Taxation Office had already prosecuted him;
(f) an aggravating factor is that Mr Turner has been prosecuted three times for his failure, and he breached court orders made in 2002 by not filing income tax returns;
(g) while there are numerous character references from witnesses of high repute to the effect that Mr Turner has shown high level of competence in professional practice, his professional misconduct has not arisen from a lack of competence in legal practice;
(h) there appears to be no evidence that while a bankrupt Mr Turner acted like the barrister in Moore[2] to maximise his return to his creditors. Although to his credit, he does not appear to have contrived his finances so as to earn no more than the statutory threshold;
(i) although scant information is known about his bankruptcy, it is likely that he has paid only a small part of his debt to the Australian Taxation Office.
The concept of general deterrence of others by the punishment of an offender is that an understanding that an offence is followed by substantial adverse consequences will prevent others from committing the offence. Related to general deterrence is the proposition that in deciding an appropriate penalty the Tribunal may have regard to the effect which its order will have on the understanding, in the profession and amongst the public, of the standard of behaviour required of solicitors.
The public has a right to expect that legal practitioners comply with their legal and civic obligations to pay tax in relation to income generated from the practise of law. In particular, a person who consults a lawyer has the right to expect that legal fees which he or she pays to the lawyer will be properly accounted for in terms of income tax.
In this case, to preclude the practitioner from earning a living for 12 months in the profession which has provided his principal source of income for 27 years, is a significant, but appropriate penalty, sufficient to protect the public and to ensure the maintenance of proper professional standards. Not to suspend the practitioner and simply to condition his practice certificate on obtaining medical treatment would be a manifestly inadequate outcome. It would not be an outcome that would give the public the confidence they are entitled to have, that lawyers they consult scrupulously obey the requirements of taxation law in relation to professional income. It would also run the serious risk of watering down professional standards. A reprimand and fine would also be an inadequate outcome. On the other hand, to strike the name of the practitioner off the Roll of Practitioners, or to suspend him for more than two years, is not called for, as it would be an excessive means of ensuring public confidence in the legal profession.
(a) the respondent is to advise the Legal Services Board of his discharge from bankruptcy within seven days of that discharge.
(b) while the respondent continues to hold a practising certificate, pursuant to Section 4.4.19 of the Act, the respondent's legal practice is to be subject to the following condition: the respondent is to inform the Commissioner in writing of any failure after today to comply with his taxation obligations within seven days of any such failure.
In Long's case, the Tribunal commented at [13] and [14] that a legal practitioner's failure to meet their taxation obligations will generally warrant the imposition of substantial sanction, such as the three to four year suspension sought by the Commissioner in Long's case. However, the Tribunal affirmed the order made at first instance - his practising certificate be suspended for months - as there were powerful mitigatory factors, particularly his mental condition at the time of his default and delay. Below those mitigatory factors are addressed for this case.
In Long's case, the Tribunal stated that a person's mental condition can be relevant to penalty in disciplinary proceedings: [16-18]. It found, based on the evidence of a psychologist, that Long was suffering from depression when he engaged in the conduct the subject of the application, and there was a causal relationship between his depression and the offending conduct: [19] to [23]. This reduced his moral culpability for the conduct and, also, required less weight be given to the need for general deterrence: [24] to [26]/
In this case, before the Tribunal was a report of Mrs Wendy McDonald dated 5 March 2007 (part of annexure 9 to the application). Mrs McDonald was not required for cross-examination. In her report, Mrs McDonald does not opine that Mr Turner has a mental health condition but rather he had and has a 'coping style" (or "coping mechanism") developed from his family of origin and his earlier experiences. This "coping style" had four characteristics, identified in the second paragraph of page 2 of her report, including the ability to withdraw and disassociate from difficulties when they appear insurmountable. She opines - accepting that he could not pay both is income tax and his wife and child, and that when he sought help from an accounting firm he could not afford to pay them, - that he perceived his tax difficulties as insurmountable and withdrew and disassociated from them until he could cope with them. She did not recommend that he have any medical treatment for his "coping style". At the time of the conduct and since, the respondent has not sought medical treatment for any mental condition and he gave evidence that he was not planning to though he would if others thought it necessary.
A person may be considered a fit and proper person to hold a local practising certificate even though the person is within any of the categories of the matters referred to in subsection (1), if the Board considers that the circumstances warrant the determination.
DOES MR TURNER'S PAST CONDUCT SHOW A PROBABLE PERMANENT UNFITNESS FOR LEGAL PRACTICE?
[1] Legal Services Commissioner v Long (Legal Practice) [2012] VCAT 193
[2] Legal Services Commissioner v Moore [2010] VCAT 742
[3] LSC v Johal [2011] VCAT 1390
[4] LSC v Long [2011] VCAT 1164
Legal Services Commissioner
Turner
(2004) 216 CLR 253