Ranjit Kaur

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

Solicitor Ranjit Kaur faced 15 allegations including breaches of Solicitors Accounts Rules, failures to honour undertakings, practising without a valid certificate, breaching practising certificate conditions, failure to redeem a client's mortgage, and unauthorised payments from client account. The Tribunal, proceeding in her absence, found all allegations proved and made an express finding of dishonesty under the Twinsectra combined test, based on the proximity of payments in/out, blank cheque stubs, round-sum transfers, unauthorised client-to-office transfers, and use of one client's money for others and herself. She was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £45,600.23 (reduced from £46,700.23). The IPS decision was made enforceable as a High Court order.

Duties found breached:

• No improper communication with the court
• Continuity and handover of representation
• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Hold a current practising certificate
• Honour professional undertakings

Aggravating factors:

• Wide range of disciplinary breaches over a period of time
• Dishonest use of client monies for own and others' purposes
• Minimum cash shortage of £115,423.27 in respect of one client
• Failure to redeem client's mortgage leaving him paying two mortgages
• Persistent failure to respond to regulator correspondence