Alistair John Whipps

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

Alistair John Whipps, a sole practitioner admitted in 1986, was found guilty of conduct unbefitting a solicitor on three counts: practising uncertificated, failing to reply to OSS correspondence, and failing to deliver Accountant's Reports for two years. He did not attend the hearing. The Tribunal found all allegations substantiated, noting no allegation of dishonesty and no client loss. He was suspended indefinitely from practice from 4 November 2003 and ordered to pay costs subject to detailed assessment. The Law Society had intervened into his practice on 2 December 2002.

Duties found breached:

• Handle inadvertently received material
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Hold a current practising certificate

Aggravating factors:

• Total lack of co-operation with the OSS
• Continued to practise while uncertificated despite warnings

Mitigating factors:

• No allegation of dishonesty
• No suggestion any client suffered loss
• Respondent suffered from a debilitating illness affecting office administration (raised after hearing)