Lawyer loses appeal on charges of professional misconduct

Former district court judge and lawyer Michael Guest lost his High Court appeal yesterday against guilty verdicts on two charges of professional misconduct.

On November 5 last year, the Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal found that Guest had lied to a client and then charged the client a $25,000 fee when he had no right to do so.

Yesterday, three High Court judges ruled the tribunal did not err in ordering that Guest be struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors.

Guest was ordered to refund the client $10,335 and pay $5000 compensation, pay $20,000 to a trust and pay $62,899 costs.