Australia: Legal watchdog moves to cancel tower lockdown lawyer’s licence

The Age newspaper reports …..Victoria’s legal watchdog is threatening to cancel the practising certificate of the lawyer behind a class action launched on behalf of 3000 public housing tower residents who were compulsorily shut inside their homes at the height of the coronavirus pandemic’s second wave.

Emails seen by The Age confirm the Victorian Legal Services Board wrote to solicitor Serene Teffaha in March to provide her with a “notice of proposed cancellation of practising certificate”.

The notice was sent to Ms Teffaha, a high-profile anti-lockdown activist, at the same time that she filed the class action on behalf of thousands of public housing tenants subjected to the hard lockdown by the state government and confined to their homes in July 2020.

The emails sent between Victorian Legal Services Board investigator Kimberley Anderton and Ms Teffaha do not specifically indicate the conduct under scrutiny by the board.

Court documents filed by Ms Teffaha name two prominent Victorian Health Department officials – Annaliese Van Diemen and Finn Romanes – as well as Police Commissioner Shane Patton and the state as defendants.

The lawsuit claims to represent all 3000 people subjected to the compulsory lockdown.

The class action, fronted by plaintiff Idris Hassan, alleges the detention of people in the towers was unlawful and beyond the powers conferred under state government legislation to manage the pandemic. Mr Hassan said he had no concerns about the litigation proceeding.

Members are seeking damages for false imprisonment, battery, assault, negligence, aggravated and exemplary damages and costs, as well as declarations that the state government and police actions were unlawful.

Ms Teffaha rose to prominence as a member of anti-lockdown campaigns.

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