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 30 Oct
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Tue 31 Oct
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Wed 01 Nov
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Thu 02 Nov
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Fri 03 Nov
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Sat 04 Nov
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Sun 05 Nov
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Mon 06 Nov
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Tue 07 Nov
- Defendant
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Drew St'Clair
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- Her Honour Janet Waddicor (Chair)
- Ms Naomi Ryan
- Mr Yusuf Solley
- Ms Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
- Finding and sentence
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26-month suspension, £1000 fine and £2,670 costs to be paid to the BSB
- Status
- Final
- Date
- Tuesday 7 November 2023
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Wed 08 Nov
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Thu 09 Nov
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Fri 10 Nov
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Sat 11 Nov
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Sun 12 Nov
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Mon 13 Nov
- Defendant
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Jasraj Sanghera
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Mr Peter Causton
- Mrs Aaminah Khan
- Mr Ian Arundale
- Mr John Vaughan
- Finding and sentence
- Reprimand. £2,670 in costs to the BSB.
- Status
- Open to appeal
- Date
- Monday 13 November 2023
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Tue 14 Nov
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Wed 15 Nov
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Thu 16 Nov
- Defendant
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Rashvinderjeet Panesar
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Ms Desirée Artesi
- Mr Peter Causton
- Ms Tracy Stephenson
- Ms Rhona Stevens
- Finding and sentence
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On 16 November 2023 the Tribunal issued a reprimand to Mr Panesar.
Costs of £2,100 awarded to the BSB - Status
- Final
- Dates
- Thursday 16 - Friday 17 November 2023
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Fri 17 Nov
- Defendant
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Rashvinderjeet Panesar
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Ms Desirée Artesi
- Mr Peter Causton
- Ms Tracy Stephenson
- Ms Rhona Stevens
- Finding and sentence
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On 16 November 2023 the Tribunal issued a reprimand to Mr Panesar.
Costs of £2,100 awarded to the BSB - Status
- Final
- Dates
- Thursday 16 - Friday 17 November 2023
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Sat 18 Nov
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Sun 19 Nov
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Mon 20 Nov
- Defendant
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Martha Knowlden
(Inner Temple)
- Type of hearing
- 3 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
- Finding and sentence
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Reprimanded and Orders prohibiting from accepting or carrying out public access instructions for 6 months.
Costs of £100 awarded to the BSB - Status
- Convened
- Date
- Monday 20 November 2023
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Tue 21 Nov
- Defendant
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Thomas David Davidson
(Middle Temple)
- Type of hearing
- 3 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- Ms Zoe O'Sullivan KC (Chair)
- Mr John Foy KC
- Ms Melissa West
- Finding and sentence
- Reprimanded and fined in the sum of £250. £1,750.00 costs award to the BSB
- Status
- Final
- Date
- Tuesday 21 November 2023
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Wed 22 Nov
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Thu 23 Nov
- Defendant
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Shazia Anjum
(Lincoln's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Ms Gilda Kiai
- Mr Kane Simons
- Mr John Vaughan
- Mr Vince Cullen
- Finding and sentence
- Disbarred. Suspended for 24 months.
- Status
- Final
- Dates
- Thursday 23 - Friday 24 November 2023
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Fri 24 Nov
- Defendant
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Shazia Anjum
(Lincoln's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Ms Gilda Kiai
- Mr Kane Simons
- Mr John Vaughan
- Mr Vince Cullen
- Finding and sentence
- Disbarred. Suspended for 24 months.
- Status
- Final
- Dates
- Thursday 23 - Friday 24 November 2023
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Sat 25 Nov
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Sun 26 Nov
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Mon 27 Nov
- Defendant
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Naseem Bajwa
(Gray's Inn)
- Type of hearing
- 5 Person Tribunal
- Panel members
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- His Honour James Meston KC (Chair)
- Ms Justine Davidge
- Mr Alexander Horne
- Ms Claire Cheetham
- Mr Andrew Ward
- Finding and sentence
- On 27 November 2023 the hearing adjourned part heard. It resumed on 11 April 2024. The Tribunal, after finding facts in November 2023, took no further action considering Mr Bajwa had been disbarred from a previous hearing.
- Status
- Final
- Dates
- Monday 27 November 2023 and Thursday 11 April 2024
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Tue 28 Nov
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Wed 29 Nov
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Thu 30 Nov
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Fri 01 Dec
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Sat 02 Dec
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Sun 03 Dec