Solicitors fined €100k for dishonesty

TWO solicitors were yesterday fined €100,000 each for professional misconduct after a judge said he wanted to send out a message that dishonesty would not be tolerated in the legal profession.

President of the High Court Mr Justice Richard Johnson also prohibited solicitors Michael McDarby and Sean Acton, of Michael McDarby and Co in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, from practising on their own for the next two years.

Earlier this year, the pair had been fined €25,000 each by the Law Society’s Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) for charging a 10% levy in personal injuries actions — despite having their costs covered by the insurance companies.