Disciplinary Record - Georgie Dibbo

Barrister Status:

Pupil

Called:

Jul 2023

Inn:

Middle Temple

Hearing type:

Disciplinary Tribunal (5 Person)

Decision date

17/12/2024

Breach details:

Professional misconduct, contrary to Core Duty 5, 9 and/or rC8 of the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales (9th Edition, Version 4.7).

Offence details:

In November 2023, Georgie Dibbo, a First-Six pupil barrister, behaved in a way likely to diminish the trust and confidence that the public places in her and/or the profession, and/or behaved in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her integrity, when, whilst preparing a skeleton argument based on one of the past cases of her pupil supervisor, she:

a. accessed the file for that past case in her pupil supervisor’s office and read confidential material (including her pupil supervisor’s actual skeleton argument for that case) without permission to do so;

b. submitted a piece of work (namely a skeleton argument) for assessment, passing it off as exclusively her own, when it had been influenced by her pupil supervisor’s actual skeleton argument;

c. did not, after the fact and by her own volition, promptly inform her pupil supervisor that she had seen and been influenced by his skeleton argument.

Between 23 November 2023 and 8 December 2023, Georgie Dibbo, a First-Six pupil barrister, behaved in a way likely to diminish the trust and confidence that the public places in her and/or the profession, and/or behaved in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her honesty and integrity, when she repeatedly denied and/or misrepresented to her Chambers the way in and extent to which she had read and been influenced by her pupil supervisor’s actual skeleton argument in completing her own skeleton argument and submitting it for assessment.

On 29 November 2023, Georgie Dibbo, a First-Six pupil barrister, behaved in a way likely to diminish the trust and confidence that the public places in her and/or the profession, and/or failed to be open and co-operative with her regulator, and/or behaved in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her honesty and integrity, when she misrepresented to the BSB in her self-report the way in and extent to which she had read and been influenced by her pupil supervisor’s skeleton argument in completing her own and submitting it for assessment.

Sanction:

Suspended from practice for 18 months. As Ms Dibbo is a first-six pupil, the suspension is an order for the BSB not to issue Ms Dibbo with a (provisional) practising certificate for 18 months. (Sentence still to take effect).

Costs:

£¤1,560.00

Status:

Open to Appeal