Findings and sanctions of past hearings
Details of published findings and sanctions imposed by Disciplinary Tribunals since BTAS started operations on 1 February 2013 are provided here. Please note that, in line with the BTAS Publication Policy, findings will be removed from the website after 2 years, unless the finding of the Disciplinary Tribunal involves a suspension or disbarment. In these cases, the finding will be posted on the BTAS website indefinitely.
Details of findings and sanctions are published in accordance with the BTAS Publication Policy: Disciplinary Tribunals and other adjudication hearings.
In exceptional circumstances, a tribunal can require the Bar Standards Board to suspend the defendant’s practising certificate from a date determined by the tribunal and which can take immediate effect (rE227 and rE228 of the Bar Standards Board Handbook). In all other instances, the sanction described in the finding sheets attached will only come into effect after the time for appeal has expired. The date is further determined either by a decision of the Treasurer of the defendant’s Inn or the disposal of the appeal should one be made. For specific detail, please refer to the Enforcement Regulations at rE239 and rE241.
Appeals against relevant decisions of Bar Disciplinary Tribunals made before 7 January 2014 were heard by the Visitors to the Inns of Court. Since that date appeals fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court (rE236). The outcome of Visitors’ Hearings (appeals) and appeals to the High Court are also listed on this section of the website.
Using the facility below you may search by: name of barrister; date; type of hearing; sentence and section of the code.
Each set of findings is accorded a status on the following basis:
Open to Appeal: The case is within the period that a barrister can appeal the finding but no appeal has been submitted.
Appeal Pending – Sanction Stayed / Appeal Pending: The barrister has submitted an appeal, which is yet to be heard and the sanction will not be implemented until after the outcome of the appeal is known. This will be the case unless the Disciplinary Tribunal has ordered that the sanction should take effect immediately.
Final – The finding has been pronounced either after the appeal period has expired or following the result of an appeal.
New findings are posted within seven days of a decision, although it can take up to 24 hours for the finding to appear on the website following its posting (or for a finding to not show on the website following its removal).
Details of all publishable findings and sanctionss imposed by Disciplinary Tribunals from 2002 to the present date can also be found on the Bar Standards Board website by clicking here.
An alternative means of dealing with professional misconduct complaints is provided by the Determination by Consent (‘DBC’) procedure. This process is where the Professional Conduct Committee exercises its power to determine the outcome of a disciplinary case with the barrister’s consent. It is designed to provide a more speedy resolution of straightforward cases without the need for a formal Disciplinary Tribunal hearing. Further information on the procedure can be accessed here.
Details of the practising status of any barrister can be found on the Bar Standards Board website, click here for further information.
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Mon 29 Aug
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Tue 30 Aug
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Wed 31 Aug
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Thu 01 Sep
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Fri 02 Sep
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Sat 03 Sep
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Sun 04 Sep
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Mon 05 Sep
- Defendant
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Anthony Bennett
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Mr Paul Robb
- Ms Tracy Stephenson
- Mr Ashley Serr
- Mr Darren Snow
- Finding and sentence
- Reprimanded. Fined £500 to be paid to the BSB within 28 days.
- Status
- Final
- Dates
- Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 September 2022
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Tue 06 Sep
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Wed 07 Sep
- Defendant
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Anthony Bennett
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Mr Paul Robb
- Ms Tracy Stephenson
- Mr Ashley Serr
- Mr Darren Snow
- Finding and sentence
- Reprimanded. Fined £500 to be paid to the BSB within 28 days.
- Status
- Final
- Dates
- Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 September 2022
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Thu 08 Sep
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Fri 09 Sep
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Sat 10 Sep
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Sun 11 Sep
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Mon 12 Sep
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Tue 13 Sep
- Defendant
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Shirley Bothroyd
(Middle Temple)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour Nicholas Ainley (Chair)
- Ms Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
- Mr Paul Robb
- Ms Siobhan Heron
- Ms Lyndsey de Mestre KC
- Finding and sentence
- Disbarred / Reprimanded / Suspended for 6 Months. Costs of £2,128.50 to be paid to the BSB.
- Status
- Final
- Dates
- Tuesday 13 September 2022 and Monday 13 March 2023
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Wed 14 Sep
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Thu 15 Sep
- Defendant
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William Powell
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour Judge Lawton (Chair)
- Ms Sarah Baalham
- Mr John Vaughan
- Ms Isabelle Watson
- Ms Hayley Firman
- Finding and sentence
- Reprimanded. Costs of £2,100.00 to be paid to the BSB. Time to pay to be negotiated with the BSB.
- Status
- Final
- Date
- Thursday 15 September 2022
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Fri 16 Sep
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Sat 17 Sep
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Sun 18 Sep
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Mon 19 Sep
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Tue 20 Sep
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Wed 21 Sep
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Thu 22 Sep
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Fri 23 Sep
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Sat 24 Sep
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Sun 25 Sep
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Mon 26 Sep
- Defendant
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John Alexander Black KC
(Inner Temple)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- Her Honour Shani Barnes (Chair)
- Ms Rita Eaton
- Ms Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
- Ms Siobhan Heron
- Mr Thomas Williams
- Status
- Convened
- Dates
- Monday 13 - Tuesday 14 June, Monday 26 - Tuesday 27 September 2022 and Monday 27 - Tuesday 28 March 2023
- Cancelled - Further dates to be confirmed
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Tue 27 Sep
- Defendant
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John Alexander Black KC
(Inner Temple)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- Her Honour Shani Barnes (Chair)
- Ms Rita Eaton
- Ms Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
- Ms Siobhan Heron
- Mr Thomas Williams
- Status
- Convened
- Dates
- Monday 13 - Tuesday 14 June, Monday 26 - Tuesday 27 September 2022 and Monday 27 - Tuesday 28 March 2023
- Cancelled - Further dates to be confirmed
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Wed 28 Sep
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Thu 29 Sep
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Fri 30 Sep
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Sat 01 Oct
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Sun 02 Oct