Disciplinary actions brought against lawyers were among Lawyers Weekly’s most-read articles of the year. Here, we take a look back at the top 10 of them.
The year 2025 was big for disciplinary tribunals across the country, with solicitors and barristers regularly penalised for a range of misconduct.
According to exclusive data, Lawyers Weekly found that an average of around one to two lawyers were penalised each week, and about four in 10 of those were struck from the roll of legal practitioners.
Here are the top 10 most-read disciplinary stories in 2025:
1. Lawyer’s admission revoked, name struck from roll for dishonesty
For breaching the duty of candour, a former Northern Territory lawyer had her admission revoked and her name struck from the roll.
2. ‘Stick it up your a--e’: Foul-mouthed lawyer recommended for strike-off
Controversial solicitor Nathan Andrew Buckley of “wet dildo” infamy could have his name struck off for a number of offensive social media posts, including a suggestion a judge ruled “no one has any rights” and comments that told users to “go f--k yourself”.
3. First-ever Aussie lawyer sanctioned for AI use
A Victorian lawyer has made Australian legal history – for all the wrong reasons – becoming the first practitioner to face professional sanctions for using artificial intelligence in court.
4. ‘Rude’ emails have no place in family law, tribunal says
In defending himself against an allegation he sent an inappropriate and rude email to an opposing solicitor, a Queensland lawyer said it was discourteous to respond “assertively” to an “arrogant bully”.
5. Barrister will ace strike-off for preparation blunders
A recommendation has been made to remove a barrister whose conduct during a District Court matter was so egregious that the judge felt compelled to refer the matter to the Legal Services Commissioner.
6. ‘I took it all’: Solicitor struck off over $483k theft from trust account
On top of a four-year term of imprisonment, an NSW lawyer has been struck off for stealing more than $480,000 from his trust account.
7. Former lawyer guilty of practising without certificate loses bid to reverse conviction
A former Queensland lawyer has failed to scrap his convictions for assisting a woman with her complaint against one of Australia’s biggest compensation law firms when he was not entitled to do so.
8. Fake solicitor, firm defrauds client out of $450k
For about four years, an NSW man pretended to be a solicitor so he could defraud his clients out of more than $450,000.
9. Practising certificate cancelled for solicitor over off-limits work
A solicitor with decades of experience under his belt was shut out of the legal profession for a year after he was found to have stepped outside the bounds of his employee practising certificate.
10. ACT tribunal bans 2 lawyers from practising
Two lawyers who were involved in the swearing of an affidavit that contained false information have been publicly reprimanded and restricted from applying for a practising certificate for two years.
