Adelaide lawyer Enzo Belperio ordered to pay costs after ‘self-interest’ application to suppress his identity over misconduct allegations

An Adelaide lawyer facing allegations of sexual misconduct has been ordered to pay court costs for his fight to keep name secret.

An Adelaide lawyer facing allegations of misconduct has been ordered to pay the court costs of SA’s watchdog for legal professionals after failing to keep his name secret in a fight the state’s top court found was “without merit”.

On Thursday, the Court of Appeal handed down a judgment ordering Adelaide lawyer Enzo George Belperio, 41, to pay costs to the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner.

Lawyer Enzo Belperio. Picture: Bar Chambers

The married father-of-two had been fighting to keep his name secret after being accused of “inappropriate behaviour” towards a young solicitor in 2020 but lost that bid in November.

On Thursday the state’s top judge, Supreme Court Chief Justice Chris Kourakis, along with Justice Laura Stein and Justice Chris Bleby, ruled Mr Belperio’s application to suppress his name was “without merit” and awarded part costs against him.

“The grounds on which it was prosecuted did not fall within the concepts of the interest of justice, but were, instead, primarily matters of personal self-interest,” the judgment said.

The court further found his application was made “late” and with “haste”, which contributed to “shortfalls” in a report provided by leading criminal psychologist, Luke Broomhall.

“It became apparent in the course of Mr Broomhall’s cross-examination that his opinions as to the risk to the practitioner’s health were substantially qualified and that a number of his observations lacked a sound evidential foundation on the material he had,” the court held.

Supreme Court Judge Chief Justice Chris Kourakis. Picture: Dylan Coker

Mr Belperio made the suppression application after allegations were made to the Commissioner that he engaged in “inappropriate and uninvited physical and sexual contact … or advances” to a young solicitor in 2020.

Documents tabled in parliament in 2023 named him and alleged Mr Belperio “engaged in inappropriate behaviour with a female solicitor”.

Those professional misconduct allegations are yet to be determined and his legal team has claimed in court the documents were tabled in parliament by “mistake”.

The barrister, who has almost 20 years legal experience and currently practises at Bar Chambers in the city, denies wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes.

Justice Chris Bleby of the Supreme Court. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Justice Laura Stein. Picture: Keryn Stevens

In November, his application to suppress his name was overturned in a landmark unanimous ruling and major victory for the vital “open justice” principle after the Commissioner and The Advertiser applied to fight the order.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday declined an application from The Advertiser to order costs in relation to its submissions to the court as it was not a case where Mr Belperio should “pay two sets of costs”.

“We acknowledge that The Advertiser intervened in support of the open-justice principle and that section 69A of the Evidence Act recognises the important role of the news media in effectuating that principle,” the court held.