Elizabeth Oruene Ikiriko
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2019
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
A solicitor with 22 years' experience witnessed a Power of Attorney attesting that both donors had signed in her presence when one (Person A) had signed at home. The PoA enabled a proxy marriage in Cameroon. The Tribunal found dishonesty NOT proved, accepting she acted from misplaced compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic amid personal bereavements and health issues. Allegation 1.1 was proved in part (lack of integrity and breach of public trust), Allegation 1.2 was not proved, and Allegation 1.3 was proved in part. Recklessness was not proved. She received a 6-month suspension, suspended for 1 year conditional on 10 hours of CPD, and was ordered to pay £15,000 costs.
Duties found breached:
- Act in the client's best interests
- Integrity
- No conflict between current clients
- Proper basis for allegations
Mitigating factors:
- Acted from misplaced compassion and genuine moral conviction rather than dishonest intent
- Unusual circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic
- Personal bereavements (deaths of family and friends)
- Own significant health issues and vulnerability
- Minimal financial benefit (£60)
- 22 years' practice with no previous disciplinary action
- Genuine remorse
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Act only on proper, lawful instructions
- Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
- Avoid wasting the court's time
- Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
- Client-care and engagement terms
- Client confidentiality
- Competence
- Complaints procedure and handling
- Comply with and respect court orders
- Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions
- Continuity and handover of representation
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- Costs and fee transparency to client
- Diligence and timeliness
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Disclose material information to client
- Disclose referrals, commissions and benefits
- Fair dealing with unrepresented parties
- Fair, reasonable and lawful fees
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
- Handle inadvertently received material
- Hold a current practising certificate
- Honour professional undertakings
- Keep client informed and respond promptly
- Maintain competence and CPD
- Manage conflict arising mid-matter
- No abuse of process or coercive powers
- No acting against a former client
- No baseless or threatened misconduct report
- No conflict between current clients
- No direct dealing with represented party
- No improper benefit, loan or bequest
- No improper communication with the court
- No improper fee-sharing or partnership
- No improper questioning of witnesses
- No improper solicitation or touting
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No obstruction or victimisation of reporters
- No own-interest conflict
- No payments to witnesses on evidence
- No personal opinion or familiarity with court
- No prejudicial publicity for pending cases
- No standing bail or surety for client
- No taking unfair advantage
- No tampering with or coaching witnesses
- Not mislead the court
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- Not misrepresent regulated status
- Pay instructed practitioners and agents
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Proper basis for allegations
- Proper termination and return of instructions
- Prosecutorial duty of disclosure
- Prosecutorial fairness and impartiality
- Protect capacity and vulnerable clients
- Protect legal professional privilege
- Report serious misconduct of others
- Safeguard documents and limit liens
- Self-report to the regulator
- Truthful, non-misleading advertising