Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee, a criminal defence solicitor, participated in a Press TV 'Palestine Declassified' broadcast that attacked Mishcon de Reya. He made two false statements: that the firm had been fined for the criminal offence of money laundering (it was a regulatory AML breach) and that it had represented General Pinochet (it never did). The Tribunal found these statements misleading, breaching Principle 2 and Paragraph 1.4 of the Code. It expressly rejected allegations of recklessness, lack of integrity (Principle 5), and dishonesty, finding he honestly believed his statements and simply misspoke. Culpability was low with many mitigating factors. He was fined £6,500 (Level 2) and ordered to pay £30,000 costs (reduced from £45,478.68).
Duties found breached:
Aggravating factors:
- Made false/inaccurate statements while being portrayed as an expert solicitor and failed to qualify his answers
- Recently rebuked for comparable misconduct (abusive tweets)
- Ought to have known errors could undermine confidence in the profession
Mitigating factors:
- Apologised to the firm and publicly
- Showed genuine insight and would not appear on the programme again
- Open and frank admissions at an early stage and cooperated with the SRA
- Misconduct was unplanned and spontaneous; low culpability
- Distressing year and confused state of mind (grieving for his brother)
- Did not conceal wrongdoing
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Act only on proper, lawful instructions
- Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
- Avoid wasting the court's time
- Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
- Client-care and engagement terms
- Client confidentiality
- Competence
- Complaints procedure and handling
- Comply with and respect court orders
- Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions
- Continuity and handover of representation
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- Costs and fee transparency to client
- Diligence and timeliness
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Disclose material information to client
- Disclose referrals, commissions and benefits
- Fair dealing with unrepresented parties
- Fair, reasonable and lawful fees
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
- Handle inadvertently received material
- Hold a current practising certificate
- Honour professional undertakings
- Keep client informed and respond promptly
- Maintain competence and CPD
- Manage conflict arising mid-matter
- No abuse of process or coercive powers
- No acting against a former client
- No baseless or threatened misconduct report
- No conflict between current clients
- No direct dealing with represented party
- No improper benefit, loan or bequest
- No improper communication with the court
- No improper fee-sharing or partnership
- No improper questioning of witnesses
- No improper solicitation or touting
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No obstruction or victimisation of reporters
- No own-interest conflict
- No payments to witnesses on evidence
- No personal opinion or familiarity with court
- No prejudicial publicity for pending cases
- No standing bail or surety for client
- No taking unfair advantage
- No tampering with or coaching witnesses
- Not mislead the court
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- Not misrepresent regulated status
- Pay instructed practitioners and agents
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Proper basis for allegations
- Proper termination and return of instructions
- Prosecutorial duty of disclosure
- Prosecutorial fairness and impartiality
- Protect capacity and vulnerable clients
- Protect legal professional privilege
- Report serious misconduct of others
- Safeguard documents and limit liens
- Self-report to the regulator
- Truthful, non-misleading advertising