Lawyer ordered to pay $1000

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The Independent Legal Services Commission (ILSC) has ordered lawyer Simione Valenitabua to pay a fine of $1000 after he pleaded guilty for professional misconduct.

Mr Valenitabua was charged after he had failed to respond to a notice of complaint served on him by the Chief Registrar.

Commissioner Justice Daniel Goundar, while delivering the disciplinary sanction earlier, stated that on June 7 2019, the Chief Registrar had received a complaint against the legal practitioner by one of his clients which involved non-refund of fee.

Justice Goundar stated on June 26 2019, the Chief Registrar brought that complaint to the attention of the legal practitioner and gave him 21 days to respond to which Mr Valenitabua did not respond.

On September 3 2019, the Chief Registrar served Mr Valenitabua with a reminder and granted him a further 14 days to respond to the complaint against him to which no response was received from the lawyer.

Justice Goundar stated a failure to respond to a complaint within fourteen days after a reminder was deemed to be professional misconduct.

Justice Goundar stated it was only after the legal practitioner was charged that he responded to the complaint and settled the dispute regarding refund of fee with his client.

He stated the 38 -year-old lawyer’s conduct clearly involved a substantial failure to maintain a reasonable standard of competence and diligence.

Justice Goundar further ordered that Mr Valenitabua was to be publicly reprimanded and also to pay costs to the Chief Registrar in the sum of $500.

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