The Bermuda Bar Association has slapped barrister Llewellyn Peniston with a one-year suspension from all work involving real estate law.

The Bar Association's disciplinary panel made the ruling during a closed door session on November 28, 2006.

The information was recently made public.

The organisation's president Robin Mayor said: "Hearings are held in private, only findings are made public."

The findings, publicised in the Official Gazette, say Mr. Peniston, "acted in a verbally abusive and intimidating manner and that he failed to abide by the terms of his professional undertaking".

Ms Mayor would not speak to the specifics of Mr. Peniston's case and Mr. Peniston himself did not return a call seeking comment.

According to the publicly posted notice, a majority of the disciplinary panel voted guilty on the verbal abuse and intimidation charge, while the panel voted unanimously guilty on the accusation Mr. Peniston failed his professional duties.

There were five barrister codes violated in total.

The charge Mr. Peniston was convicted of unanimously says: "A barrister shall give no undertaking he cannot fulfil and he must fulfil every undertaking he gives."

Although reluctant to talk about the Peniston case, Ms Mayor said: "An appeal process is available to anyone who is found guilty of a charge. In this case, the period of appeal has passed."

While serving his suspension from real estate matters, Mr. Peniston may continue to practise in other areas of law.