Red flags on law claims
AS AUTHORITIES delve into the alleged deception of “wannabe” barrister Joel Stansfield, a quick glance at his social media pages raises immediate concerns.
Mr Stansfield is under investigation by the Legal Services Commission after a referral from the Queensland Bar Association.
The association confirmed it was aware of a situation arising in Townsville where Mr Stansfield was allegedly claiming to be a barrister without holding the qualifications or a Queensland barrister’s practising certificate.
Among the red flags is a Facebook post from Mr Stansfield which appears to show his criminal history.
According to the post, Mr Stansfield was sentenced to five years’ jail in 2010 for trafficking dangerous drugs.
When questioned by the Bulletin, he discussed the conviction which he claims to be in the process of appealing.
“I’m disputing the case,” he said. “(They said I trafficked) half a million dollars’ worth of ecstasy … I was 19 years old.”
Mr Stansfield claims he was interviewed by police while under the influence of drugs which he said was the basis of his plans to appeal.
“I didn’t do it at all,” he said. “It’s a very long story … I was charged in 2008 and didn’t go to jail until 2010.
“I was a big pot smoker at the time.”
The man, who has ambitions of becoming a magistrate, said he no longer took illicit substances and could pass any drug test “clean”.
The post about his criminal history also shows a breach of bail offence in 2010 for which he was fined $250 and a failure to appear in accordance with an undertaking which carried a $500 fine.
The Kirwan man bases his “office” out of his residential unit and he has posted to Linkedin chasing secondhand barrister with a wig.
He said he was “unable to afford new as I am only now getting cases, $2600 new is out of my price range at present”.
Mr Stansfield’s Linkedin page states he has been a barrister at “Stansfield Barristers” since June 2018 but he told the Bulletin this week he had only “just started setting up the chamber as of last week”.
Mr Stansfield’s name cannot be found on the list of barristers operating in Queensland, and he is not a registered lawyer with the Queensland Law Society.
His Facebook page shows him posting in June 2014 about applying to join the police force.
Mr Stansfield has quoted people $10,000 for him to work a case with an extra $5000 should the matter go to trial.
He has asked for $500 for an initial consultation.
Mr Stansfield told the Bulletin he completed a Bachelor of Laws through Southern Cross University between 2011 and 2018 but the university confirmed they had no law graduate with that name on their records. robes along