Disciplinary Record - Lee Alan Sowden

Mr Alan Geoffrey Steinfeld KC

, 

Mrs Alison Fisher

, 

His Honour Judge Andrew Alfred Goymer

, 

Mr Edward Michael Levey KC

, 

Ms Helen Carter

Lee Sowden, a barrister, engaged in conduct likely to diminish public trust and confidence which the public places in a barrister or the profession, and which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine the barrister’s honesty and integrity, in that between 10 January 2011 and 8 December 2016, made indecent photographs of children, contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978 and between 22 November 2017 and 26 November 2017 failed to comply with a notice issued under s.49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, for which conduct Lee Sowden was, on 1 November 2018, convicted after trial at the Crown Court sitting at Leicester and on 2 November was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

Lee Sowden, a barrister, engaged in conduct likely to diminish public trust and confidence which the public places in a barrister or the profession, and which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine the barrister’s honesty and integrity, in that between 10 January 2011 and 8 December 2016, made indecent photographs of children, contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978 and between 22 November 2017 and 26 November 2017 failed to comply with a notice issued under s.49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, for which conduct Lee Sowden was, on 1 November 2018, convicted after trial at the Crown Court sitting at Leicester and on 2 November was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

Lee Sowden, a barrister, failed to report promptly, or at all, to the Bar Standards Board as required by CD9 and rC65.1 and/or failed to be open and cooperative with his regulator in that on 7 May 2018, Lee Sowden had been charged with seven indictable offences, namely six charges of making indecent photographs of children, contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978; and one charge of failing to comply with a Notice issued under section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Lee Sowden, a barrister, failed to report promptly, or at all, to the Bar Standards Board as required by CD9 and rC65.2 and/or failed to be open and cooperative with his regulator in that on 1 November 2018, Lee Sowden had been found guilty at the Crown Court sitting at Leicester of six counts of making indecent photographs of children, contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978; and one count of failing to comply with a Notice issued under section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.