Justice Davis has ordered that an unsuccessful applicants’ lawyers pay the legal costs of the other parties instead of their clients.
In the recent Supreme Court judgement of PJM & Ors v AML & Anor
As part of the Second Respondent’s submissions on costs it was suggested that the Court ought to consider that any costs should not be paid by the Applicants but instead by their lawyers personally.
His Honour agreed with the Second Respondent submission that was not opposed by the Applicants’ lawyers. Shine Lawyers were ordered to pay the First Respondent’s costs fixed at $37,255.57 and the Second Respondents costs to be assessed on the indemnity basis.
The decision serves as a serious reminder to solicitors of the Court’s jurisdiction to make such costs against them personally when their conduct falls short of the standards expected.
