Disciplinary Record - Gnanasegran Parajasingam

On the 4th February 2004 a Disciplinary Tribunal of the Council of the Inns of Court (Chairman: His Honour Judge Connor) sat to hear and determine four charges of professional misconduct against Gnanasegram Parajasingam Esq. Ms Angela Morris appeared on behalf of the Professional Conduct and Complaints Committee of the General Council of the Bar (PCCC). The Defendant was not present and was not represented.

The Defendant was found guilty of the following Charges:

Parajasingam Gnanasegram, also known as Gnanasegram Parajasingam and Mr P G Segran, being a barrister in private practice, on or about the 30th day of September 1993, engaged in conduct which was discreditable to a barrister, in that he was convicted by the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, of 2 charges of criminal breach of trust for which he was sentenced to a period of 30 months imprisonment.

Parajasingam Gnanasegram, also known as Gnanasegram Parajasingam and Mr P G Segran, being a barrister in private practice, on or about the 30th day of September 1993, failed to report to the Bar Council of England and Wales that he had been convicted by the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, of 2 charges of criminal breach of trust for which he was sentenced to a period of 30 months imprisonment.

Parajasingam Gnanasegram, also known as Gnanasegram Parajasingam and Mr P G Segran, being a barrister in private practice, on or about the 28th day of July 2002, failed to report promptly to the Bar Council of England and Wales that he had been convicted of Professional Misconduct by the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Council of Malaysia on the 28th day of July 2002.

Parajasingam Gnanasegram, also known as Gnanasegram Parajasingam and Mr P G Segran, being a barrister in private practice about whom a complaint had been made, between the 14th day of January 2003 and the 30th day of June 2003, failed to respond promptly to various requests for comments from the Bar Council of England and Wales contained in letters sent to him on the 15th January 2003, the 5th February 2003, the 20th March 2003 and the 28th April 2003.

The Tribunal were satisfied that the Defendant had been duly served in accordance with Rule 29 of the Disciplinary Tribunal Regulations and the matter was heard in the Defendant's absence under Rule 14 (1) of the Disciplinary Tribunal Regulations.

Ms Morris stated that the Defendant had been struck off the Roll of Advocates and Solicitors of the High Court of Malaya by Order of the Advocates and Solicitors' Disciplinary Board dated 22 July 2002. This followed the conviction of the Defendant by the Sessions Court, Kuala Lumpur, on the lst October 1993 of two charges of misappropriating clients' moneys. For this the Defendant received a prison sentence of 12 months and 18 months; to run consecutively. There was said to have been an appeal to the Court of Appeal, but no note was available of those proceedings.

The Tribunal retired to consider the matter. The Tribunal found all the charges proven.

The Tribunal's sentence was that Mr Parajasingam Gnanasegram be disbarred and expelled from the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn.

Mr Parajasingam Gnanasegram having been informed of the Finding and Sentence of the Tribunal, did not submit any notice of appeal within 21 days and the Treasurer of The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn pronounced that the sentence be carried into effect on 19th March 2004.