"SERIOUS NEGLECT."

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 74, 28 March 1930, Page 8

"SERIOUS NEGLECT."

UNAUDITED TRUST ACCOUNTS

ACTION BY LAW, SOCIETY,

Case before: appeal court.

(By Telegraph.—Press*' Association.)

WELLINGTON, this day. *

■ Proceedings brought by the New Zealand Law Society against George Mackay, solicitor, of Wellington, for having failed to have his trust account;audited up to March 31, 1929, came>. .befoYe the. Court of Appeal this morning. >,Mr., H. F. Von Haast, who appeared with M.r. Free for the Law Society, said the Court would see from, the affidavits that the' , practitioner had failed to have his trust account audited, and had been fined £50 for the offence'. : The Law Society communicated with him, and he promised to have an audit undertaken, but took no steps until about the commencement of the present 'session of "the Court of Appeal. The audit had now been filed, but only lip to March 31 last. / '■ -~;

The Chief Justice hero • pointed o.tit that under the Law Practitioners Amendment (Solicitors' Fidelity Guarantee Fiind) Act' the' Law'- Society had power to insist on an audit up to'clate.! Mr. D..M.,-Findla.y,. who represented Mackay, said lie understood Mackay had done practically nothing for some months past! The amount to credit bf "the trust account at March 31 last was : £2 8/8. It,was. quite well known that lie had not been attending to his practice, and his neglect to reply to the . Law Society's requisition was m accordance with this neglect of the whole of his work. The auditor had recently informed him that everything was , now •in order. Mr. Findlay requested that the Court should deal with the matter immediately and dispose of it, as Mackay was practically out of practice. I

The Chief Justice, remarked that it was most serious neglect, censurable in the highest degree. He said the Court would indicate itsviewof the matter on Monday or Tuesday next.