Marie Bernadette Smith Robinson & Humaira Rasheed

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Marie Bernadette Smith Robinson, a sole-principal solicitor, admitted four allegations of conduct unbefitting a solicitor: failing to keep proper books of account, permitting a trainee to operate the client account, and failing to supervise and train her trainee. The firm appeared largely set up and run by the trainee (Humaira Rasheed) and another, with Robinson taking no drawings and having little involvement, partly due to serious ill health and alcohol problems. The Tribunal made no express finding of dishonesty and could not resolve the conflicting accounts between the two respondents. Considering Robinson's ill health and unfitness to practise, the Tribunal suspended her indefinitely rather than striking her off, and ordered costs of £5,983.64. The trainee clerk, Humaira Rasheed, was made subject to a Section 43 Order and ordered to pay costs of £2,991.82.

Duties found breached:

• Fair dealing with unrepresented parties
• No conflict between current clients
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Competence
• Supervise staff and delegated work

Aggravating factors:

• Backdating of appraisal/performance review documents after the investigation visit
• Allowing a trainee to be on the client account mandate
• Failure to take action (e.g. close the firm) once she discovered irregularities
• Clerk signed important Law Society documents in the solicitor's name; inconsistencies in clerk's evidence

Mitigating factors:

• First Respondent's history of ill health and alcohol-related problems
• Remedied the client account mandate breach promptly once raised by the Investigation Officer
• First Respondent took no drawings and gained no benefit from the practice
• Clerk was inexperienced trainee and to some extent a victim of circumstances