Sexual harassment solicitor Owen Maldwyn Hughes has again been refused a practising certificate in NSW.
Hughes was sued by Catherine Mia Hill, a Junior Solicitor once in his employ.
Hughes lost the case and had scathing findings against him after a trial.
Hughes appealed on the ground that he was actually a modern Mr Darcy.
Not only was the appeal dismissed, Hughes was subsequently ordered to pay indemnity costs of that appeal.
Subsequently, Hughes was handed a declaration and reprimand by the NSW Legal Services Commissioner on 24 November 2021. For reasons unknown, the finding was merely one of Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct.
Hughes then applied for a NSW practising certificate last year. He was refused by the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales. The finding this time was that he was “Not a fit and proper person to hold a practising certificate”.
On 27 June 2024, Hughes was again refused a practising certificate. The ‘Substance of Conduct Matter‘ was the following:
→ Failure to disclose AHRC sexual harassment complaint to the Law Society in his practising certificate renewal application
→ Failure to disclose sexual harassment proceedings to the Law Society in his practising certificate renewal application, the declarations, findings and orders made by the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia – Full Court
→ The findings, declarations and reprimand of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner dated 24 November 2021
Declarations made by Mr Hughes in his practising certificate applications in 2017 and 2018 that were false and misleading
→ Failure to comply with an undertaking
→ Failure to comply with a Management System Direction
→ Trust account irregularities
→ The appointment of a manager to Mr Hughes’ practice in 2019
Bankruptcy (2020) and
→ The determination made by Council on 03 April 2023, that Mr Hughes was not a fit and proper person to hold a practising certificate.
Author adminPosted on Categories Criminal law