Queensland Law Society brings Itself into Disrepute

The Queensland Law Society operates a pro-bono referral service through LawRight. The gatekeeper for the scheme wrote "our member firms are reluctant to assist" when there is a matter against a lawyer and consequently declined to refer such a matter to member legal firms under the scheme.

While the sentiment that lawyers don't like to act against other lawyers may well be true, refusing to refer any such matters deprives the entire legal profession the opportunity to demonstrate otherwise. The censorship of such requests by the scheme gatekeeper acting on behalf of the Queensland Law Society results in a perpetuation of such a view, whether correct or otherwise.

There may well be legal firms who seek to weed out the bad apples in their midst and redeem the public view of the legal profession, however the Queensland Law Society is using their membership fees to perpetuate negative the public opinion that all lawyers will turn a blind eye to those in their midst that engage in unscrupulous practices.

This hardly seems fair to those legal professionals who are proud of their profession, pay their fees, seek to uphold the highest standards by following the Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules 2012 and do indeed seek to take action against their peers who breach it, if they were given an opportunity to do so in a case with merit.

The only conclusion is that the Queensland Law Society is itself, on behalf of its members, contributing to the public perception that all lawyers will turn a blind eye to those in their midst that engage in unscrupulous practices. Therefore, it is itself, bringing the legal profession into disrepute which is the exact opposite of one of it's primary mandates.

I have provided detailed proof of this through my application to the pro-bono scheme for assistance in my civil action against two lawyers who have coerced a family law settlement by inappropriately threatening domestic violence actions. I have published the details of the refusal to refer my request for pro-bono assistance on multiple facebook groups around Australia and my own legal organising group "Knot AMan News and Legal Action" which is organising a Queensland Class Action against discrimination in Domestic Violence.

Based on the refusal of even a chance of legal assistance, by the representative of the Queensland Law Society, I will continue to muddle through, present evidence as best I can and learn procedural legal matters from the long-suffering staff at the Sandgate Magistrates Court.