Anurag Mohindru KC

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

Mr Anurag Mohindru KC faced two charges of dishonesty arising from a 2012/2013 tenancy application at 23 Essex Street chambers. Charge 2 (falsely claiming to be a qualified medical doctor) was dismissed as it rested on uncorroborated evidence from a single witness. Charge 1 (falsely asserting he had studied medicine at Oxford University, made orally at interview and repeated in a CV) was found proved to the criminal standard, with digital forensic evidence corroborating that the CV was authentic and not maliciously altered. The Tribunal made an express finding of dishonesty and disbarred him, finding no exceptional circumstances relating to the dishonesty to displace the starting point of disbarment, plus costs of £54,780. On appeal, the High Court substituted disbarment with a suspension from 7 October 2025 to 30 June 2026.

Duties found breached:

• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues

Aggravating factors:

• The lie was perpetrated twice within a few days - orally at interview and then repeated/bolstered in a written CV
• The defence run alleged far more serious dishonesty against unknown others and one named person

Mitigating factors:

• Long unblemished practice since 2004 with honesty never previously impugned
• Eminent character witnesses in support
• Considerable professional success (silk in 2020)
• Significant passage of time (conduct in 2012/2013), delay not attributable to him
• Exemplary professional conduct since the events (though held not to amount to exceptional circumstances relating to the dishonesty)