Decision record
Matthew Smith
Allegation / charges
Breaches
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Matthew Smith, joint head of the Prison Law Department at Reeds Solicitors, submitted inappropriate mileage and car parking expense claims and created inaccurate attendance notes for prison visits that had not taken place, between 30 June 2016 and 30 April 2018, in breach of Principles 2 and 6 of the 2011 Principles. He admitted the allegations and that his conduct was reckless, but denied dishonesty. The SRA chose not to pursue the dishonesty allegation on proportionality grounds, given the Respondent agreed to be struck off and undertook never to reapply to the Roll. The Tribunal, dealing with the matter on the papers via an Agreed Outcome, found the misconduct extremely serious (though not involving client monies) and ordered the Respondent be struck off and pay costs of £15,000. No express finding of dishonesty was made.
Duties found breached:
Aggravating factors:
- Misconduct which was deliberate/calculated or repeated
- Misconduct continuing over a period of time (approx. June 2016 to April 2018)
- A serious departure from the required standards of integrity, probity and trustworthiness
- Respondent knew or ought reasonably to have known the conduct was in material breach of obligations to protect the public and the reputation of the profession
- Respondent was joint head of the Prison Law Department, experienced and independently responsible
- Financial benefit to himself (potentially up to £3,248.65) and loss to the public purse (legally aided work)
Mitigating factors:
- Full admissions to all allegations save dishonesty
- Cooperation with the Firm's internal investigation and with the SRA
- Acceptance of responsibility and insight
- Personal circumstances/difficulties set out in a side letter
- No suggestion that clients received substandard legal advice
⚠ figures not found verbatim in the source were dropped: ["review_dishonesty_finding_cue_present"]