Post Office scandal: Legal regulator launched over 20 investigations into lawyers and law firms
The legal regulator has opened more than 20 investigations into law firms and lawyers who were working on behalf of the Post Office.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) revealed last week that it currently has 20 live investigations.
This comes after the regulator issued a warning in January that those that worked for the Post Office will face ‘action’ if they are found to have ‘fallen short’ of the standards.
The SRA said it is looking at a wide range of issues including duties relating to expert witnesses, disclosure obligations and improper application of privilege to protect communications from disclosure and overcharging of claimants.
The Horizon Inquiry was postponed last July as it was discovered the Post Office failed to disclose evidence, including 95 documents related to a witness. The inquiry was still suffering from delays back in November as it had to be postponed again due to delays on key evidence for witnesses.
The regulator stated that this was not an exhaustive list of the wide range of issues it is looking into.
The SRA explained that its investigation covers multiple, multifaceted issues where there “may have been potential misconduct”. But added that new issues and evidence are coming to light on an ongoing basis, particularly from the public inquiry.
“We expect further relevant evidence from the inquiry in the coming months, when it will look at issues such as the conduct of the group litigation and governance.”
However, it stated that it is keeping its position under constant review, but the moment, the SRA does not have evidence to show that any solicitor presents an ongoing risk to the public that needs to be addressed through urgent action.
The regulator highlighted its powers if a lawyer or law firm is found to have breached its rules which includes fines up to £25,000 and controls on how they practise.
Commenting on the update, Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said: “The impact of this miscarriage of justice on so many individuals is tragic. We have live investigations into the actions of lawyers in these cases.”
“Although the range of issues we are investigating is complex, the fundamentals are simple. The public expect solicitors to behave ethically. They must act independently and do the right thing in the interests of justice.”
He continued: “We will take action where we find they have failed to do so. This is vital to protect the public, maintain trust in the profession, and send a clear message that any solicitor behaving unethically should expect serious consequences”
“We will act as swiftly as we can, but it is important that we get this right. We owe that to everyone impacted in this case and the wider public,” he added.