NEGLECT OF DUTY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20198, 28 March 1931, Page 8

NEGLECT OF DUTY.

' ' —♦ >-■ Je.'j SOLICITOR SUSPENDED. (pntss AsaociiTioN tbleobam.) WELLINGTON, March 27. 'The application of the New Zealand Law Society for an order striking Walter Thomas Kells Mason off the rolls of practising- solicitors, was continued before the Court" of Appeal to-day.. - Mr Cousins, for Mason, said that it seemed to him that proceedings would cover have come before the Court had it not been that the requisitions ot the Auckland Law Society had been seemingly ignored. Mason commenced in practice about two» years ago, ? ln March, 1929, ho commenced to be sociated with an underwriting com' pany, to wl\ich ho devoted an increasing amount of time, with a result that in the end he .totallv gave up pi'BC* tice. His failure to deal with the letters written to' him by the Law So* ciety was due to•-overwork, »J>d not, to an intentional disregard of his In delivering judgment ,the_ . Chief Justice, Sir. .Michael Myers, said .that there was no evidence, that practitioner had misappropriated the moneys', ot clients. However; there had beenSoon-* duct amounting' to professional ,mis-/ conduct, though not to dishonesty.' There had been ,a very serious neglect of clients' interests, and the Court; was of the opinion that. some order, , should be" made. The order of ; the Court would W that ■ practitioner shotild be suspended to December of this year. Costs 25 guineas and' disbursements were : allowed to the L{iw H Society. c , 1 ,