Musharaf Javid Asharaf

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

Mr Asharaf, a 53-year-old solicitor and office manager at SPG Law (Excello Law Ltd), faced allegations of sexually inappropriate conduct towards Person A, a 21-year-old paralegal he supervised, between November 2018 and January 2019. The Tribunal found all allegations proved: standing close to and touching/rubbing her shoulders (1.1); slapping her buttocks and saying 'is that sexual harassment?' (1.2); referring to her breasts as 'two mountains on your chest' at the Firm's Christmas party (1.3); and bumping his crotch into her from behind while she bent over and making a comment about her 'fat...' (1.4). The Tribunal found allegations 1.2 and 1.4 were sexually motivated but did NOT find sexual motivation for 1.1 and 1.3. Conduct breached Principles 2 and 6 and failed Outcome 11.1. There was no express finding of dishonesty (the case concerned lack of integrity). Sanction: 12 months' suspension plus a restriction on acting as manager/supervisor of any authorised body.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report
• No conflict between current clients

Aggravating factors:

• Significant power imbalance - senior solicitor/office manager over a junior unqualified paralegal
• Mr Asharaf held special pastoral responsibility for the physical and mental wellbeing of paralegals, breaching that duty of care
• Pattern of escalating behaviour rather than an isolated incident
• Took unfair advantage of Person A's age, inexperience and his position of authority
• Consumption of alcohol treated as an aggravating rather than mitigating factor