Yusuf Jamal Siddiqui
JurisdictionEngland & Wales
BodySolicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT)
Professionsolicitor
Case number12637/2024
Date22/08/2025
OutcomeSuspend - Fixed Period
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2019
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
SanctionSuspension
Suspension9 months
CostsGBP 21,130
Dishonesty foundNo
Duties found breached:
- Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
- Act in the client's best interests
- No conflict between current clients
- No improper use of client money
- No taking unfair advantage
- Protect capacity and vulnerable clients
Aggravating factors:
- Deliberate overcharging - fee represented approximately 25% of annual turnover and was not transparently calculated
- Taking advantage of Client A's vulnerability (elderly and vulnerable client)
- Significant breach of trust given position of trust and influence
- High culpability with degree of planning and professional control
- Serious risk of harm - exposed vulnerable client to potential loss of his home
- Limited insight into the seriousness of the misconduct
Mitigating factors:
- Unblemished regulatory record / first regulatory matter
- Took immediate steps to reverse the property transfer at HM Land Registry, restoring Client A's legal position
- Refunded in full all sums paid by Client A
- Instructed an external accounting firm to bring financial records into compliance
- Voluntarily closed firm's client account and ceased holding client money
- Cooperative and transparent with the regulator throughout the investigation
- Suffered significant reputational, financial and professional consequences
- Undertook a refresher course in 2024 to improve knowledge and skills
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Account for interest on client money
- Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
- 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
- No improper use of client money
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No obstruction or victimisation of reporters
- No own-interest conflict
- No payments to witnesses on evidence
- No personal handling of client money
- 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
- Prompt accounting and return of money
- 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
- Segregate client money
- Self-report to the regulator
- Truthful, non-misleading advertising