Disciplinary Record - Farzana Akram

Barrister Status:

Unregistered

Called:

Jul 1998

Inn:

Middle Temple

Hearing type:

Disciplinary Tribunal (5 Person)

Decision date

21/02/2024

Breach details:

Professional misconduct contrary to paragraphs 301(a)(i) and pursuant to paragraph 901.7 of the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales (8th Edition) and professional misconduct contrary to Core Duty 5, Core Duty 9 and/or rC8, rC65.1 and rC65.2 of the BSB Handbook (versions 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 4.5 and 4.6)

Offence details:

Ms Farzana Akram, a registered barrister, on/around and between 1 April 2007 and 5 January 2014, engaged in conduct which was dishonest or otherwise discreditable to a barrister, in that she was knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of income tax contrary to Section 106A of the Taxes Management Act 1970 (Count 1) and national insurance contributions contrary to Section 114 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (Count 2).
For which conduct, Ms Akram was convicted having pleaded guilty on 25 March 2022, and was sentenced on 30 June 2022 to 2 years imprisonment on each count concurrently, to be suspended for a period of 2 years, and was made subject to a curfew order and to electronic monitoring for a period of 8 months.
Ms Farzana Akram, a registered barrister, on/around and between 6 January 2014 and 31 March 2016, behaved in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her honesty and/or integrity and/or behaved in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or in the profession in that she was knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of income tax contrary to Section 106A of the Taxes Management Act 1970 (Count 1) and national insurance contributions contrary to Section 114 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (Count 2).
For which conduct, Ms Akram was convicted having pleaded guilty on 25 March 2022, and was sentenced on 30 June 2022 to 2 years imprisonment on each count concurrently, to be suspended for a period of 2 years, and was made subject to a curfew order and to electronic monitoring for a period of 8 months.
Ms Farzana Akram, a registered barrister, on/around and between 7 April 2012 and 5 January 2014, engaged in conduct that was dishonest or otherwise discreditable to a barrister, in that she was knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT.
For which conduct Ms Akram was convicted having pleaded guilty on 25 March 2022, and was sentenced on 30 June 2022 to 2 years imprisonment on each count concurrently, to be suspended for a period of 2 years, and was made subject to a curfew order and to electronic monitoring for a period of 8 months.
Ms Farzana Akram, a registered barrister on/around and between 6 January 2014 and 31 March 2017, behaved in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her honesty and/or integrity and/or behaved in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or in the profession in that she was knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT (Count 3).
For which conduct Ms Akram was convicted having pleaded guilty on 25 March 2022, and was sentenced on 30 June 2022 to 2 years imprisonment on each count concurrently, to be suspended for a period of 2 years, and was made subject to a curfew order and to electronic monitoring for a period of 8 months.
Ms Farzana Akram, a barrister, having on 1 April 2021 been charged under the Taxes Management Act 1970, and/or the Social Security Administration Act 1992, failed to report to the Bar Standards Board, whether promptly or at all, that she had been charged with an indictable offence.
Ms Farzana Akram, an unregistered barrister, having been convicted on 25 March 2022 under the Taxes Management Act 1970, and/or the Social Security Administration Act 1992, and upon entering guilty pleas, failed to report to the Bar Standards Board, whether promptly or at all, that she had been convicted of criminal offences other than minor criminal offences.

Sanction:

Disbarred (sentence still to take effect) and prohibited from being issued with a practising certificate under rE227.3 (as an unregistered barrister)

Costs:

£¤750.00

Status:

Open to Appeal