Lawyer fined for outing Rowling identity

A lawyer who let slip JK Rowling's secret thriller-writer identity has been fined STG1000 ($A1800) for breaching client confidentiality rules.

Chris Gossage of London law firm Russells Solicitors - which represents Rowling - told a friend of his wife that the Harry Potter creator was author of The Cuckoo's Calling, published last year under the name Robert Galbraith.

The friend tweeted the information, and it was followed up by the Sunday Times.

The law firm apologised and paid damages to Rowling for the leak.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority says it issued Gossage with a written rebuke for disclosing confidential information about a client to a third party.

The ruling was dated November 26 but published this week.

Sales of the thriller rocketed after Rowling was outed as its author.