The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal today brought the curtain down on the legal career of controversial solicitor Phil Shiner. The tribunal found five counts of dishonesty proved against him following a two-day hearing earlier this week. He is almost certain to be struck off the roll.
He will have 21 days to appeal the decision after it is published in around seven weeks.
Tthe SDT found that Shiner authorised and procured his firm Public Interest Lawyers to enter an agreement in June 2015 providing financial benefits to a third party in order for him to change his evidence to the Al-Sweady inquiry into allegations of atrocities in Iraq.
Shiner was also dishonest in presenting the changed evidence from that third party without explanation, and in sanctioning and approving the creation of emails which did not describe the true reason for the agreement.
The SDT also found dishonesty proved in how Shiner responded to two questions from the Solicitors Regulation Authority during its investigation.
Shiner became a vilified figure in the national media after running claims on behalf of Iraqi civilians against the British government. The Al-Sweady public inquiry in 2014 cleared British forces of murdering detainees and led directly to an investigation by the SRA.
The tribunal hearing following that investigation heard of Shiner’s ‘deliberate and calculating lies’ as he disregarded rules about what solicitors could and could not do.
The tribunal, which heard 24 charges relating to his conduct, was told Shiner admitted encouraging and authorising unsolicited direct approaches to potential clients arising out of the 2004 'Battle of Danny Boy' in Iraq.
Colonel James Coote, who as a major commanded British troops during the battle, said the case had caused him and many of his men to lose faith in the legal profession.
Shiner’s firm had a funding agreement which saw it receive more than £1.6m in relation to the Iraqi claims, with £500 a claim paid to a 'fixer' who helped to find clients.
Andrew Tabachnik, representing the SRA, said Shiner was among those who had ‘lost his bearings’ in signing up claimants, who were then not informed when their cases faltered.
Shiner had denied dishonesty but was not present at the hearing this week to hear the case against him. He had previously admitted some charges of recklessness and a lack of integrity.
The case is expected to be one of the most expensive prosecutions ever brought against a solicitor. By 22 November last year, the SRA had spent £476,795 in costs, including £94,000 to pay for the investigation and £134,000 paid to external London firm Russell Cooke. The case involves 2,500 pages of documents – not including evidence – filling five lever-arch files.
Breaking: Phil Shiner guilty over Iraqi claims
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