The lawyer who defended Daniel Morcombe's killer has been struck off the Queensland roll of solicitors accused of profound and protracted dishonesty.
Disgraced criminal lawyer Tim Meehan walked free from prison in December, desperate to "make a useful contribution to society" by returning to the law.
He knew it was unlikely, and that the legal fraternity would scrutinise his every movement.
"I have suffered the inevitable and public shame entailed by my offending," he told the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
"I hope, with the support of my partner, to reintegrate into society.
"I do not expect this to be easy. I know I must work to restore peoples trust in me."
But Meehan's high flying career is over after QCAT denied his bid to return to law.
He had admitted encouraging his clients to pay their legal fees in cash.
"Only portions of those sums paid in cash were deposited into my firm's trust account," Meehan said.
He served 18 months of a five-and-a-half-year sentence for aggravated fraud of more than $30,000 and fraudulently falsifying records,
QCAT ruled on Monday that Meehan was "permanently unfit to practice".
QCAT president Justice Martin Daubney described Meehan's actions as "the worst category of offending for a solicitor".
"He was involved in a scheme that was designed to defeat the trustee in bankruptcy, AUSTRAC financial reporting obligations and income tax obligations."
Justice Daubney said Meehan was "tainted by dishonesty" and there was no guarantee it would not happen again.
Meehan, who defended Brett Peter Cowan,has been ordered to pay the Legal Services Commissioner's legal costs.
Australian Associated Press
