Arlene McNaught

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

Arlene McNaught, admitted 2003, was found guilty of conduct unbefitting a solicitor involving admitted dishonesty over a prolonged period. She misled her employers Backhouse Jones about her training contract status, falsely claiming a TC8 application for twelve months' good service had been approved, and led them to believe she was entitled to be admitted as a solicitor in September 2001 when her training contract did not expire until September 2002. She allowed herself to be held out and charged out as a qualified solicitor, and was complicit in the creation of a false Form AD1 bearing a forged partner's signature relied upon by the Law Society to secure her admission. The allegations were not contested. The Tribunal found admitted dishonesty and struck her off the Roll, ordering costs of £2,759.98.

Duties found breached:

• No taking unfair advantage
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Personal probity and fitness to practise
• No standing bail or surety for client
• Hold a current practising certificate
• No improper solicitation or touting

Aggravating factors:

• Prolonged deception over an extended period
• Betrayal of trust of the partners of her firm
• Caused firm to unwittingly hold her out to clients as a qualified solicitor
• Allowed to be charged out and paid at qualified solicitor's rate
• Reliance on false instrument to secure admission to the profession

Mitigating factors:

• Difficult personal circumstances referenced in documents
• Made admissions to all allegations
• Stated she did not intend to return to practice as a solicitor