Bankrupt lawyer Julian Hall could be set to be hauled before the Bar Association's professional conduct watchdogs, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

A meeting of the Bermuda Bar Association last night considered whether to refer Mr. Hall -- who represented a client after his licence to practice had expired -- to the legal profession's internal `police'.

But Bar Association honorary secretary Trevor Moniz was last night staying tight-lipped on the Association's decision.

He said: "There is nothing I can say. I chaired the meeting, matters were discussed and decisions were taken. Necessary decisions.'' But, according to legal insiders, it is unlikely the Bar Association would have opted to report Mr. Hall to the Police for any breach of the Bermuda Bar Act -- an option which may have been considered at last night's meeting.

It is understood the Bar Association does not itself deal with alleged breaches of professional conduct.

Instead, a separate committee, known as the Professional Conduct Committee, deals with claimed breaches of the Bar's Professional Conduct Code.

The Royal Gazette revealed on Tuesday that Mr. Hall did not have a practising certificate for this year, but he appeared at Supreme Court for a client on January 5.

It is an offence under the Bermuda Bar Act for a barrister to appear in court for a client if he does not possess a practising certificate.

Under the Act, a barrister can be fined $10,000, jailed for two years, or both, for representing a client in court without a practising certificate.

A complaint would need to be made to the Police before the Director of Public Prosecutions would consider instituting charges.

Acting DPP William Pearce said last week that no complaint had been received to date alleging Mr. Hall had appeared without a practising certificate.

Earlier in the week, Mr. Moniz confirmed that Mr. Hall did not and does not have a practising certificate for this year.

Chief Justice Austin Ward confirmed that the barrister appeared before him on January 5, but said he did not know Mr. Hall did not have a practising certificate.

Mr. Hall, a former Progressive Labour Party MP, was formally declared bankrupt at Supreme Court on January 26 this year and thus automatically banned from practising.

The court had already served two bankruptcy receiving orders on him and ordered him to pay a former client, Canadian widow Betty Lorraine McMahon, $1.69 million plus seven percent interest. The debt is still outstanding.

In a statement to the court, Mr. Hall said he had debts of $1.9 million and assets of $135,000.

Julian Hall