'Waiting in the Wings': The Suspension of Queensland Lawyers

Abstract

This article looks at the use of suspension orders in the professional discipline of lawyers in Queensland. The article begins with a close examination of case law which suggests that suspensions should have a very limited role in professional discipline. The article then presents statistical evidence which suggests that the tribunal's use of suspensions has not decreased as would be predicted from trend of the case law. The article examines individual cases in which suspensions have been imposed by the tribunal and questions whether a suspension was the most appropriate order. The article then suggests tentative reasons for the apparent discrepancy between law and practice.