A solicitor whose service to a number of clients repeatedly fell below acceptable professional standards has been censured by the High Court and ordered only to work under supervision.
The Law Society had applied to have Eoin Lysaght struck off the roll of solicitors arising from 29 complaints against him by clients whom he had repeatedly failed to respond to, mainly over conveyancing matters.
Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill said that striking off would be a draconian penalty for Mr Lysaght given that he had a good record as a solicitor since he had first set up practice in 1987 and because the misconduct he had admitted to had occurred during a relatively short period of time.
Mr Lysaght, practising as Eoin Lysaght and Co, Tonlegee Road, Coolock, Dublin, should have dealt with problems but to suggest he was unfit to be a solicitor was, in the judge’s view, going too far.
While the Law Society had to pay sums of money to clients from its compensation fund, all of that was reimbursed by Mr Lysaght.
A disciplinary tribunal recommended he be censured, no longer be permitted to work as a sole practitioner or in partnership and only be allowed to work in the employment and under supervision of another solicitor with 10 years of experience.
Mr Justice O’Neill made orders in line with its recommendations and also ordered that Mr Lysaght pay legal costs.