Victoria lawyer Jeremy William David Mills suspended for six weeks

Victoria lawyer Jeremy William David Mills has been suspended for six weeks and ordered to pay $2,500 in costs after committing professional misconduct. Mills is also required to complete 23 credits of CPD within six months of the decision and must practice with another criminal lawyer approved by the Law Society for three years.

In a joint submission to a Law Society Tribunal hearing panel, Mills admitted that from April 2016 to October 2017 he failed to provide the quality of service expected of a competent lawyer in a similar situation. Mills admitted that he failed to: sufficiently, document his preparation, discussions, or instructions received; give the client appropriate, accurate, and timely legal advice; understand the material legal and evidentiary issues in the trial; adequately advocate for the client and protect her right to a fair trial; appreciate the legal effects of admissions made at trial; and provide quality work to avoid delay and unnecessary costs.

In accepting the joint submission, the hearing panel took into consideration, among other things, the sanctions imposed in similar cases, the fact that Mill’s does not have a prior professional conduct record, his expression of remorse and admission of misconduct at an early stage of the Law Society process. 

The lawyer’s suspension begins on July 25, 2024.

The full decision of the hearing panel can be read here.