(unnamed respondent)
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
The Applicant was struck off in 2019 after the Tribunal found he had dishonestly provided misleading information to the SRA (Allegation 9) over the period 2015-2017; the other eight allegations were dismissed. In April 2025 he applied for restoration to the Roll under s.47(2)(f) Solicitors Act 1974, relying on psychiatric evidence that he suffered from undiagnosed severe depression at the relevant time, his rehabilitation, unregulated legal work, charitable activity, CPD, testimonials and proposed supervision. The Tribunal accepted Dr Wilkins' evidence that the Applicant was severely depressed by 2022 and had since recovered and was psychiatrically fit to practise, but noted there was no contemporaneous medical evidence for 2015-2017 and treated the medical evidence as incapable of undermining the 2019 findings. Applying Bolton and Kaberry, the Tribunal held that restoration after a dishonesty strike-off requires most exceptional circumstances, which were not met individually or cumulatively. The application was refused and the Applicant ordered to pay costs of £8,434.00.
Duties found breached:
Aggravating factors:
- Dishonesty found in 2019 was serious, sustained and knowing
- Dishonesty directed towards the regulator itself
- Multiple flatly contradictory accounts given to regulator according to perceived self-interest
Mitigating factors:
- Genuine efforts at rehabilitation
- Significant improvement in mental health
- No further misconduct since strike-off
- Acceptance of the 2019 findings and payment of original costs
- Charitable and voluntary work over a sustained period
- Positive testimonials and references
- Steps taken to maintain legal knowledge through CPD