The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has cleared human rights firm Leigh Day and three of its solicitors of allegations of professional misconduct in the handling of claims relating to allegations of atrocities by British troops in Iraq.
The firm, senior partner Martyn Day, equity partner Sapna Malik and solicitor Anna Crowther had denied 19 charges.
The case has taken seven weeks to come to this point, with members of the tribunal spending the whole of this week considering their decision.
Allegations against the firm and solicitors included personally endorsing claims in a 2008 press conference, late disclosure of a key document, disposal of a translation of that document, unlawful payments to a third party and not acting on the use of the word ‘bribe’ in three emails handled by the firm.
The SDT's longest ever trial head allegations that the Ministry of Defence and the Solicitors Regulation Authority enjoyed an ‘unhealthily cosy relationship’ in the build-up to charges against the firm.
Representing the defendants, Patricia Robertson QC of Fountain Court Chambers, said the case had a wider significance for all solicitors and warned that a finding of misconduct might stop others from speaking up or acting in difficult cases.
Timothy Dutton QC acted for the SRA.
Leigh Day cleared of all allegations
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