Lautoka Lawyer Haroon Ali Shah has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the Independent Legal Services Commission and has been ordered to fight five criminal cases without charging any fee.

The Commissioner John Connors today ordered that Shah is to undertake five criminal trials in the Lautoka High Court on behalf of the Legal Aid Commission at no cost before 1st October next year.

He said such trials are to have an estimated duration of not more than 5 days each.

Commissioner Connors ordered that the trials will be selected by the Director of Legal Aid Commission and the condition will be removed after the Director certifies to the Chief Registrar that the five trials have been satisfactorily completed.

He said the condition should not be removed on or before the 1st of October 2011, or Shah=s practicing certificate will be suspended for five months from that date without further notice.

Connors ordered Shah to pay the Commission witness expenses totaling $2,881.65 and a total of $11,838 to the complainants and failure to pay within 28 days will see the suspension of Shah=s practicing certificate.

The Chief Registrar brought the matter to the Independent Legal Services Commission.


Story by: Sneh Chaudhry