A SYDNEY lawyer’s cocaine charge has sparked an internal investigation within the Federal Circuit Court as details of how he was busted snorting the drug in a toilet cubicle of a Double Bay bar emerged.
James Cowled, 31, was spared a potentially career-killing conviction after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine, after a magistrate read a character reference from his former boss, retired Federal Circuit Court judge Michael Lloyd-Jones.
But the case has sparked an internal investigation into whether judge’s associate Cowled breached the Federal Circuit Court’s code of ethics.
The Federal Circuit Court yesterday confirmed an investigation into Cowled — who admitted at sentencing he had not yet told his current boss, Federal Court Circuit Judge Philip Dowdy, of the charge — had been launched and his future­ in the justice system­ would depend on its findings. Judge Dowdy last night said he had been “very disappointed” to hear about the charge.
Court documents reveal Cowled and a friend were caught snorting cocaine in a locked bathroom stall of Mrs Sippy’s bar about 10.30pm on Saturday, March 26.
“Loud sniffing noises” echoed from the cubicle as police officers entered the room and they looked through a small gap in the door to see two men hunched over a black mobile­ phone sprinkled with “white powder”, the documents state.
Police waited for the pair to exit (and) informed the pair of what they had seen ... and explained that they were going to be subject of a search ... police located­ one small resealable bag containing white powder inside the right coin pocket ... of the accused. The accused stated he paid a total of $200 for the drug.”
Police charged Cowled with possession of 0.28g of cocaine.
The charges were dismissed in Waverley Local Court after Magistrate Lisa Stapleton read a reference for Cowled from Judge Lloyd-Jones. Ms Stapleton remarked that those who work in the justice system do not need “higher standards than everyone else, the law applies equally”.
“You are not the first person in the justice system to appear before the court for possession of a drug,” she said.
At the address Cowled gave police, a woman yesterday said he had not lived there for 18 months.