A lawyer who treated the Law Society of Scotland with ''utter contempt'' by persistently ignoring requests for information over concerns of clients and colleagues, has been struck off by the Scottish Solicitors Tribunal.
In two other decisions issued by the tribunal, one solicitor was suspended from practice for five years and another restricted to acting as a qualified assistant for the same period.
Ms Sarah Ann Carmichael, of Meadowbank Road, Kirknewton, Midlothian, was struck off after the discipline tribunal found her guilty of four instances of professional misconduct for delaying unreasonably in replying to letters from the Law Society of Scotland in four cases in which she was sent a total of 22 reminders.
Ms Carmichael, 33, was admitted as a solicitor in January 1992, and, in November 1995, set up in practice on her own under the name Aitken and Carmichael, in Tweedside Road, Newtown St Boswells, Roxburghshire.
The tribunal said problems had arisen in four separate cases against her dating from January 1998.
By the time the Law Society lodged a complaint with the discipline tribunal in October 1998, Ms Carmichael had still not made any response, despite 22 reminders from the society calling for information.
The tribunal noted that there had been a previous finding of professional misconduct in October 1998, and added: ''By persistently ignoring the successive communications which were addressed to her, Ms Carmichael showed her utter contempt towards the Law Society.''
Mr Graham Forrester, 35, of Jamieson Drive, Calderwood, East Kilbride, was suspended from practice for five years after the tribunal ruled that he had breached Solicitors Accounts Rules and put clients' funds at risk.
From March 1991, Mr Forrester practised on his own as Messrs Forrester and Co, in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, and latterly in Methil, Fife.
In February 1995, the balance on his client bank account was #14,264, of which #8475 appeared to be clients' money. In July that year, Mr Forrester ordered his bank to close the client account and transfer the total to his firm's account, but made no provision for the #8475. He was sequestrated in July 1998.
The tribunal criticised the ''cavalier'' action of Mr Forrester, now working as a precognition clerk, in transferring funds from his client bank account before settling all amounts due to individual clients.
In a third case, the tribunal ruled that Mr Donald Duncan, of West High Street, Forfar, should be restricted to acting as a qualified assistant for at least five years for breaches of the Solicitors Accounts Rules and failure to lodge deeds in time.
Mr Duncan was admitted as a solicitor in August 1983, and practised on his own under the name D S Duncan.
The tribunal stated it was making an order which meant Mr Duncan would have to wind up his present business and find a job with a firm where he could be adequately supervised.
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