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The smell of liquor followed a “grossly intoxicated” solicitor into the Magistrates Court, where he was observed “red and flushed”, unsteady on his feet, and slurring his words.
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal recommended Neil Robert Lawler’s name be removed from the roll after he showed up drunk to court, with the behaviour a violation of the standards of professional conduct expected of members of the legal profession.
During a sentencing hearing before the Magistrates Court in January 2020, Lawler was observed to be red, flushed, and unsteady.
After the hearing concluded, police intercepted his vehicle and found Lawler was still unsteady and had been slurring his words. His roadside breath test blood alcohol reading was 0.27 per cent.
“It hardly needs to be said that for a legal practitioner to attend court intending to represent a client when grossly intoxicated justifies a finding that the practitioner is not a fit and proper person to engage in legal practice,” judicial member Duncan McMeekin KC said.
For operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of high volumes of alcohol, Lawler was convicted and sentenced to 12 months’ probation and 100 hours of community service.
During this hearing, Lawler – who represented himself – offered misleading information, including that he purchased the alcohol after leaving the courthouse and then drank it, and he had only gone to his vehicle to charge his phone and had no intention of driving.
When the Legal Services Commission commenced an investigation, Lawler failed to be “open and frank”.
The latter reflected “the nature of the misleading information” provided to the Magistrates Court during his sentencing, which came some five weeks after his arrest in January 2020.
“If this is explained by a wilful indifference to the truth, then that indifference consisted in different forums, over an extended period, with substantial time to reflect, and despite the fact the misleading nature of his statements was drawn to his attention,” McMeekin said.
Lawler was also found to have breached a court order, which was found to be “disgraceful and involved a substantial departure from the standards expected of members of an honourable profession”.
He admitted all disciplinary charges, accepted the gravity and seriousness of his misconduct, and offered significant cooperation.
The case: Legal Services Commissioner v Lawler [2025] QCAT 260
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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