Law Society-v-Kenneth MacQueen Hill
Interlocutor
Edinburgh 14 August 2008. The Tribunal having considered the Complaint dated 22 April 2008 at the instance of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland against Kenneth MacQueen Hill, Solicitor, Messrs Stevenson & Johnstone, Solicitors, Bank of Scotland Buildings, Langholm; Find the Respondent guilty of Professional Misconduct in respect of his carrying on practice with Richard Hill despite Richard Hill not holding a practising certificate, his employing Richard Hill as a consultant without obtaining the requisite authority from the Council of the Law Society of Scotland, contrary to the decision reached by the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal on 23 June 2006, his designation of Richard Hill’s name on the firm’s professional stationery to infer that he was a partner in the firm and his allowing Richard Hill to be named in the firm’s professional stationery laterally as a consultant, despite Richard Hill being restricted to practising as a assistant solicitor by the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal on 23 June 2006 and having no practising certificate in force at the time, and in relation to his employment of Richard Hill despite the fact that Richard Hill did not have a valid practising certificate; Censure the Respondent; Find the Respondent liable in the expenses of the Complainers and in the expenses of the Tribunal as the same may be taxed by the auditor of the Court of Session on an agent and client indemnity basis in terms of Chapter Three of the last published Law Society’s Table of Fees for general business with a unit rate of £14.00; and Direct that publicity will be given to this decision and that this publicity should include the name of the Respondent.
David Coull
Vice Chairman