Edward Errol Johnston struck off roll

29 July 2013

Edward Errol Johnston struck off roll

Edward Errol Johnston has been struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand.

Mr Johnston was struck off by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal after admitting charges of misconduct and breaches of the regulations governing law practitioners. The charges were brought by a lawyers standards committee of the New Zealand Law Society.

New Zealand Law Society President Chris Moore said the charges had arisen when Mr Johnston provided legal advice to a family trust.

“Mr Johnston obtained two payments of $250,000 from his clients, which he told them were for the purpose of buying shares in a company Mr Johnston owned and for a loan to that company to allow the purchase of a property,” Mr Moore said.

“Mr Johnston did not arrange for his clients to obtain independent legal advice and did not properly document the transactions. Instead, he used the money paid by his clients for other purposes – including for his own personal benefit.

“When Mr Johnston’s clients demanded their money back, he failed to repay them. He subsequently entered into a legal settlement with his clients, but has failed to honour that settlement.”

Mr Moore said the Law Society would not hesitate to investigate and prosecute any lawyers who breached the high standards of trust required from everyone in legal practice.

ENDS

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