Disciplinary Record - Abdul Barri

Decision - Fined

Outcome: Fine

Outcome date: 29 November 2024

Published date: 3 January 2025

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Chapeltown Citizens Advice

Address(es): Willow House, New Roscoe Buildings, Cross Francis Street, Leeds LS7 4BY

Firm ID: 8005098

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Reasons/basis

Who does this disciplinary decision relate to?

Abdul Barri, a solicitor in Leeds, who worked for a non-regulated body.

Short summary of decision

We have fined Abdul Barri for failing to cooperate with an SRA investigation.

Facts of the misconduct

A report was made to the SRA in August 2022 regarding Mr Barri. An SRA investigation commenced. Though Mr Barri engaged with the investigation initially, he stopped cooperating as from 18 September 2023. Due to this, the investigation has taken longer and has not completed.

In doing so, Mr Barri:

1. Breached Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2019.
2. Breached Paragraphs 7.3 and 7.4 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs 2019.

Decision on sanction

Mr Barri was directed to pay a financial penalty of £2,750 and ordered to pay costs of £600.

It was decided that a financial penalty was an appropriate and proportionate sanction.

This was because his conduct was serious by reference to the following factors in the SRA Enforcement Strategy:

• Mr Barri's conduct had the potential to harm trust in the legal profession and the provision of legal services generally.
• Mr Barri has not remedied the breach.
• Any lesser sanction would not provide a credible deterrent to Mr Barri and others.

In view of the above, Mr Barri's conduct was placed in conduct band B, which has a financial penalty bracket of between 5 and 11% of annual gross income.

His conduct was placed in the middle of this bracket at B2 (8%) given:

1. Aggravating factors
   • Mr Barri was an experienced solicitor and had direct control of his conduct, which he was responsible for.
   • The breach is ongoing and has not been remedied.
   • He had breached Principle 2 and failed to behave in a way that maintained trust and confidence in the profession.
2. Mitigating/other factors
   • Mr Barri had provided some information to the SRA in relation to the investigation prior to 18 September 2023.
   • There was no allegation of a lack of integrity or dishonesty.

SRA Standards and Regulations breached

SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs 2019

Paragraph 7.3: You cooperate with the SRA, other regulators, ombudsmen, and those bodies with a role overseeing and supervising the delivery of, or investigating concerns in relation to, legal services.

Paragraph 7.4: You respond promptly to the SRA and:

3. provide full and accurate explanations, information and documents in response to any request or requirement; and
4. ensure that relevant information which is held by you, or by third parties carrying out functions on your behalf which are critical to the delivery of your legal services, is available for inspection by the SRA.

SRA Principles 2019

Principle 2: You must act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons.