Ranjanadevi Uttamrao Nikam

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

Ranjanadevi Uttamrao Nikam, admitted as a solicitor in February 2004 after passing the QLTT, was granted a Rule 13 waiver and practised as a sole principal from September 2004. The Tribunal found proven that she practised while her student visa did not permit it (13 Sept-31 Oct 2004) and while holding no visa at all (31 Oct 2004-31 Oct 2007). The third allegation (that she knew or ought to have known when applying for the waiver that she could not run her own practice) was not proved. The Tribunal expressly found she had not acted dishonestly under the Twinsectra test, accepting she believed her position would be regularised. Given her unresolved immigration status, the Tribunal imposed an indefinite suspension (liftable if she later obtains the right to live and work in the UK) and ordered costs of £5,238.90.

Duties found breached:

• Hold a current practising certificate
• Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions

Aggravating factors:

• Continued to practise for around three years without any valid visa
• Immigration position remained unresolved in her favour

Mitigating factors:

• Not found to have acted dishonestly
• Believed errors had occurred and that her position would eventually be regularised
• Genuinely, though wrongly, conflated her professional qualification with the right to live and work in the UK