By John Hyde2020-12-21T13:14:00+00:00
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has stated it will continue to act upon allegations of sexual misconduct despite losing a high-profile case in the High Court last month.
SRA board chair Anna Bradley confirmed in a statement today that the regulator would not appeal the judgment involving former Freshfields partner Ryan Beckwith following advice from leading counsel.
Beckwith had been fined £35,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after he was found to have acted without integrity in his relationship with a junior colleague. This finding – as well as an order to pay £200,000 towards the SRA’s costs – was overturned by the court. Judges said the requirement to act with integrity obliged Beckwith not to take unfair advantage of his colleague, and on the tribunal’s own findings, that had not happened. The tribunal’s final statement that he fell below accepted standards was ‘not coherent’, the court ruled.