The lawyer arrived late and 'somewhat dishevelled and unsteady on her feet' to a court list before admitting to a colleague that she was drunk
A New Zealand lawyer who appeared in court while impaired by alcohol has been censured by the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal, which also permanently suppressed her name.
The practitioner, identified only as Ms K, admitted one charge of misconduct over the incident. In a decision this month, the tribunal endorsed disciplinary orders that Ms K and National Standards Committee 2 had agreed on before the hearing.
"It is trite to point out that this conduct in any legal practitioner is totally unacceptable," the tribunal said.
"It puts sound representation of clients at risk; it is disrespectful towards the court; and it undoubtedly diminishes the reputation of the profession in the eyes of the public."
However, the tribunal also acknowledged that "the conduct arises from an illness which must be managed by the practitioner."
According to the decision, Ms K appeared in a list of short judicial conferences, where the judge noted she was late and unsteady. The judge asked another lawyer to speak with her, and Ms K confirmed she was intoxicated.
With that colleague's support, she immediately approached the firm she was about to join, and together they developed a plan of medical and therapeutic intervention.
She has since attended Alcoholics Anonymous, completed a managed detox programme and engaged a...
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