Terence Ronald Sommers

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

Terence Ronald Sommers, a solicitor's clerk (not a solicitor), was found guilty by the Queen's Bench Divisional Court of criminal contempt of court for intentionally interfering with the administration of justice before an Industrial Tribunal by seeking to persuade a witness to withdraw his statements, and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. The Tribunal found the allegations substantiated and made the Section 43 order sought, restricting his employment by solicitors absent Law Society permission, and ordered him to pay the costs of the application. The Tribunal did not make any express finding of dishonesty against the respondent, noting his long service without a stain on his character and expressing hope the Law Society would consider any future application for his re-employment favourably.

Duties found breached:

• Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience

Mitigating factors:

• Long service in the law (some thirty years) as a police officer (with a commendation) and criminal law clerk without prior blemish
• Accepted the Court's findings and the inevitability of the order
• Some witness statements against him had been recanted; the maintaining witnesses had dishonesty convictions
• Matters complained of were third-party dealings not directly his responsibility
• Suffered severe personal consequences: bankruptcy, loss of home equity, loss of livelihood
• Support from wife, family, friends and professional colleagues