Haw. Sup. Ct. R. 2.23

(a) Upon receipt of sufficient evidence demonstrating that an attorney has committed a violation of the Hawaiʻi Rules of Professional Conduct and poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public, Disciplinary Counsel may:

(i) transmit the evidence to the supreme court; and

(ii) contemporaneously make a reasonable attempt to provide the attorney with notice, which may include notice by telephone, that a request for immediate interim suspension has been transmitted to the supreme court.

(b) Upon examination of the evidence transmitted to the supreme court by Disciplinary Counsel and of rebuttal evidence, if any, that the attorney has transmitted to the supreme court prior to the supreme court’s ruling, the supreme court may enter an order immediately suspending the attorney, pending final disposition of the disciplinary proceedings predicated upon the conduct of causing the harm, or may order such other action as it deems appropriate.

(c) On notice to Disciplinary Counsel, an attorney suspended pursuant to subsection (b) of this Rule may move for dissolution or modification of the order of suspension, and in that event, the motion shall be heard and determined as expeditiously as justice requires.

(d) An order imposing an interim suspension on an attorney under this rule shall not constitute a suspension of the attorney for the purposes of Rule 2.16 unless the supreme court shall otherwise order.

(Added July 29, 1981, effective July 29, 1981; renumbered September 1984; amended February 7, 1992, effective February 7, 1992; further amended November 23, 2007, effective January 1, 2008; further amended April 15, 2026, effective July 1, 2026.)