26 January 2012
Deputy Chief Legal Ombudsman v French [2012] All ER (D) 85 (Jan)
Administrative Court, Wyn Williams J, 18 Jan 2012
A solicitor was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, for failing to comply with a notice issued by the legal ombudsman under s 147 of the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA 2007). The ombudsman had certified the failure to the court under s 149(2).
Anthony Rich of the Legal Ombudsman for the ombudsman. The defendant appeared in person.
The defendant practised as a solicitor. In December 2010, a written complaint was made to the, defendant’s firm by a client. In February 2011, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) conducted a hearing into other complaints received regarding the defendant and he was suspended indefinitely from practising as a solicitor. In March 2011, the client complained to the ombudsman, having not received any response from the firm. The complaint was accepted for investigation. Between April and July, the investigator employed by the ombudsman to investigate the complaint contacted the firm by telephone and e-mail on several occasions but did
