Decision record
Shazad Khan
JurisdictionEngland & Wales
BodySolicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT)
Professionsolicitor
Case number8988/2004
Date01/01/2004
OutcomeS.43 Order (clerks)
Allegation / charges
Client Money, Others
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
SanctionOther
CostsGBP 1,500
Dishonesty foundYes
Shazad Khan, a solicitor's clerk and cashier/bookkeeper at Singh & Company, dishonestly withheld and misused client money totalling £5,778.50, falsified accounting records to conceal a shortage of £10,266.50, and offered a bribe (including his BMW) to a Law Society Investigation Officer not to report the breaches. The Tribunal found dishonesty and serious breach of trust proved and made a s.43 order restricting his employment by solicitors, plus £1,500 costs. The Respondent did not appear.
Duties found breached:
- Proper basis for allegations
- Professional independence
- No improper use of client money
- Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
- Report serious misconduct of others
Aggravating factors:
- Serious breach of trust as cashier/bookkeeper entrusted with clients' money
- Concealment of wrongdoing by altering firm's records
- Attempting to bribe the Investigation Officer (offering his BMW) not to report the shortage
- Initially blaming his employer with false allegations