Three solicitors are set to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) following a Daily Mail investigation.
- The investigation alleged that solicitors aided a reporter in fabricating stories to assist asylum claims.
- Firms involved were closed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after receiving evidence.
- Practising certificates of the solicitors were suspended following interventions by the SRA.
- The allegations highlight ongoing concerns about legal ethics and public trust.
In a major development for the legal sector, three solicitors whose firms were implicated in an undercover sting operation by the Daily Mail are to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). This decision comes after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) acted upon recordings and transcripts that purportedly show these solicitors engaging in unethical practices. The SDT proceedings represent the latest chapter in a story that has garnered substantial media and political attention.
The investigation, which came to light in July 2023, alleged that the solicitors offered to assist an undercover reporter in fabricating narratives to support asylum claims. This revelation prompted significant public discourse around the integrity of legal practitioners involved in immigration cases.
The law firms, identified as Rashid & Rashid in south-west London, Kingswright Solicitors in Birmingham, and Lincoln Lawrence in west London, were closed down following the allegations. The SRA’s interventions resulted in the automatic suspension of practising certificates for the involved solicitors, pending the outcome of the tribunal.
Further details reveal serious accusations against the individuals involved. Mr. Muhammad Azfar Ahmad of Kingswright Solicitors is accused of advising a supposed client to fabricate a narrative and to consider marriage without a genuine relationship for immigration purposes. Meanwhile, Mr. Rashid Ahmad Khan of Rashid & Rashid allegedly offered advice supporting false narratives in asylum claims on two occasions.
The SRA has consistently rejected applications from these solicitors to return to practice, emphasising that doing so would not be in the public interest. In March 2024, it was explicitly stated in relation to Mr. Ahmad that his alleged conduct posed a risk to the profession’s reputation and public confidence. These unproven allegations continue to overshadow their professional standing and invite scrutiny.
This tribunal underscores the challenges faced by the legal profession in upholding ethical standards and maintaining public trust.
