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.

  1. Mon 01 Mar

    Close

    Defendant

    Godwin Okri

    (Lincoln's Inn)

    Type of hearing
    5 Person Disciplinary Tribunal
    Panel members
    Finding and sentence
    Disbarred. Costs of £1200 to be paid to the Bar Standards Board.
    Status
    Final
    Date
    Monday 1 March 2021
    This Hearing is taking place 'Virtually' due to CV.

    Download published finding

    Download report of finding & sanction

    Close

  2. Tue 02 Mar
  3. Wed 03 Mar
  4. Thu 04 Mar
  5. Fri 05 Mar
  6. Sat 06 Mar
  7. Sun 07 Mar
  8. Mon 08 Mar
  9. Tue 09 Mar
  10. Wed 10 Mar
  11. Thu 11 Mar
  12. Fri 12 Mar
  13. Sat 13 Mar
  14. Sun 14 Mar
  15. Mon 15 Mar
  16. Tue 16 Mar
  17. Wed 17 Mar
  18. Thu 18 Mar
  19. Fri 19 Mar

    Close

    Defendant

    Robert Kearney

    (Inner Temple)

    Type of hearing
    5 Person Disciplinary Tribunal
    Panel members
    • His Honour Andrew Goymer (Chair)
    • Mr John Walsh
    • Ms Sarah Baalham
    • Ms Isabelle Watson
    • His Honour Nicholas Ainley
    Finding and sentence
    Suspended for 6 Months. Advised as to Future Conduct [should not take on pupils, mini-pupils or anyone on work experience]. Cost to be paid to the BSB of £3,000.00.
    Status
    Appeal dismissed
    Dates
    Monday 21 December 2020 and Friday 19 March 2021
    This Hearing is taking place 'Virtually' due to CV.

    Download published finding

    Download report of finding & sanction

    Close

  20. Sat 20 Mar
  21. Sun 21 Mar
  22. Mon 22 Mar
  23. Tue 23 Mar
  24. Wed 24 Mar
  25. Thu 25 Mar
  26. Fri 26 Mar
  27. Sat 27 Mar
  28. Sun 28 Mar
  29. Mon 29 Mar
  30. Tue 30 Mar
  31. Wed 31 Mar
  32. Thu 01 Apr
  33. Fri 02 Apr
  34. Sat 03 Apr
  35. Sun 04 Apr