A practitioner suffering from depression who fails to seek assistance in the conduct of their practice over the period of depression will not be excused from a finding of unprofessional conduct where the failure extends over a prolonged period. Persistent failure to comply with the Conduct Board's statutory notices under s 76 of the Legal Practitioners Act 1981 (SA) constitutes unprofessional conduct in its own right. Where a practitioner has engaged in substantial and recurrent failures over a prolonged period and no longer holds a practising certificate, striking off is the only appropriate order.
The full text is available to signed-in members.