An estranged wife of an attorney is facing a 30-day suspended sentence after she sent a complaint letter to the Legal Practice Council (LPC), accusing her husband of various misconducts, including labeling him a “bully.” The ongoing divorce proceedings have been deeply contentious, with both parties locked in a bitter legal battle.
The wife’s allegations, aimed at tarnishing her husband’s reputation, extended beyond personal grievances. She claimed his professional conduct was unethical, triggering a response from the husband, who sought legal recourse. He had previously secured a court order preventing his wife and her new partner from making defamatory statements or filing baseless accusations against him. Their attempt to appeal this order was unsuccessful.
Despite these legal barriers, the wife continued her campaign, culminating in the letter to the LPC. This defiance led the husband to approach the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, requesting that his wife be held in contempt of court. The court had earlier fined the wife’s partner R70,000 for similar actions.
In her letter to the LPC, the wife described the divorce as acrimonious and financially draining, accusing her husband of manipulating the legal system due to his professional expertise. She claimed to have spent R3 million on legal defenses and alleged that her husband had hacked her computer. She also hinted at going to the media if the LPC failed to act on her complaint.
Judge Denise Fisher found the wife’s actions to be in direct violation of the court’s prior orders. The judge noted that the complaint was filled with unsubstantiated claims, personal attacks, and inflammatory language. “Chillingly, she threatens that if the LPC does not come to her assistance, she will go to the media. She says this well knowing of the order against her. To my mind, this suggests a lack of respect for the order,” Judge Fisher remarked.
The court concluded that the wife’s intention was not to seek justice but to defame her husband under the guise of reporting professional misconduct. The judge stated that only the threat of a suspended sentence would deter further defamatory actions from the wife.
This case highlights the complex intersection of personal disputes and legal ethics, demonstrating the consequences of using professional bodies as platforms for personal vendettas.
