Now that's a surprise; not!

You could have knocked us down with a feather when we read this in the Herald this morning:

The Law Society has refused to issue a new practising certificate to disgraced lawyer Davina Murray.
Murray was found guilty last month of smuggling contraband to convicted murderer and rapist Liam Reid in Mt Eden Correctional Facility in 2011.
The Auckland lawyer's name has now been removed from the register of lawyers, which means she is no longer allowed to offer legal services or describe herself as a lawyer, barrister or solicitor.
Law Society spokesman Geoff Adlam confirmed the Society had declined to issue Murray with a new practising certificate. He said her name was removed from the register this morning.
Under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act, all lawyers must apply for a new practising certificate each year. The Law Society can refuse to issue a practising certificate if it believes a person is not a fit and proper person to hold one.
Murray has the right to appeal the Law Society's decision to the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal.

The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal had better get itself ready, because it's dollars to doughnuts that Ms Murray WILL appeal the Law Society's decision to deregister her. Her conduct at her trial for smuggling contraband to Liam Reid makes that a near certainty.

We note that Ms Murray conducted her own defence at her recent trial. We note the words of the old proverb, sometimes attributed to Henry Kett (with our small edit):

"I hestitate not to pronounce, that every (wo)man who is his/her own lawyer, has a fool for a client.

We rest our case.

Now there's a surprise!

Lawyer (or should that be soon-to-be former lawyer?) Davina Murray has been found guilty; Stuff reports:

Lawyer Davina Murray has been found guilty of smuggling contraband to murderer and rapist Liam Reid.
Murray, a former Maori Party political candidate, appeared in the Auckland District Court this morning where Judge Russell Collins delivered his verdict.
Murray, who has said she believed Reid was innocent, was accused of supplying the prisoner with contraband items - cigarettes and an iPhone - at Mt Eden Prison on October 7, 2011.
Reid, 41, is serving a 26-year minimum non-parole life sentence for the 2007 rape and murder of Deaf Christchurch woman Emma Agnew and the rape and attempted murder of a Dunedin student a few days later.
The judge said it was a "simple case" - either Murray brought the items to Reid or prison guards conspired to make it look so.
There was no evidence that it was a conspiracy between the guards, the judge said.
He said Reid's evidence was "completely implausible" and found Murray guilty.
During the defended hearing the court was read text messages sent by Murray in which she said of Reid: "I hate that I'm in love with him but I'm scared to lose him.
"He makes me laugh. He makes me cry. He makes me feel beautiful. I love him like I have never loved anyone before. If he doesn't get out do I just shrug my shoulders and say, 'oh well'."
She later texted: "He's the best kisser I've ever kissed" and he was "seriously the best - it's like he just gets me".
Another text to a friend mentioned marrying Reid and discussed "smuggling two witnesses into jail to be witnesses at my wedding".
The last text read to the court was unclear in its meaning: "No we haven't but come very close. Damn prison guards."

Ms Murray hasn't given up her fight however; read on:

Murray signalled that she would be seeking a discharge without conviction.
The judge remanded her on bail to September 6 when the discharge without conviction application will be heard. 

We doubt that her application will succeed. Murray fell foul of Judge Collins repeatedly throughout her trial, and the condemnation of Reid's evidence as "completely implausible" will doubtless reflect on her as well. The learned Judge's decision today is no surprise whatsoever.

Liam Reid is a very dangerous man. Just days after his brutality towards Emma Agnew he raped a Dunedin woman who was fortunate to escape with her life. New Zealand will be a safer place if he is never released from prison.

Quite what an apparently intelligent and articulate woman such as Davina Murray saw in Reid is anyone's guess. But if her professional judgment is as bad as her taste in men, she will have a very limited future in law. She will doubtless face a Law Society hearing to determine her fitness to practice the law, given that she cannot abide by it.