Respondent AE

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

The Respondent (anonymised as AE), a Consultant Prison Law Solicitor, fabricated fictitious clients and cases, creating false/misleading documents to suggest she had provided representation and prison visits, and produced false DIS1 forms and handwritten notes, in order to bill the firm and the Legal Aid Agency (including travel expenses). She made full admissions and asserted exceptional circumstances on health grounds warranting indefinite suspension rather than strike-off. The Tribunal found Allegations 1.1 and 1.2 proved together with dishonesty as an aggravating feature, rejected the claim of exceptional circumstances, and struck her off the Roll. She was granted anonymity, a private hearing, and non-publication of her name on the basis of unchallenged medical evidence of significant risk of serious self-harm/suicide.

Duties found breached:

• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank

Aggravating factors:

• Conduct was dishonest
• Fabrication of clients and cases
• Conduct was for financial gain through false billing to the firm and the Legal Aid Agency

Mitigating factors:

• Full admissions to the allegations
• Ill health and personal circumstances linked to the misconduct
• Limited means