Disciplinary Record - Syriah Gordon-Jones

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 1 December 2023

Published date: 4 January 2024

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Neale Turk Ruchfort

Address(es): 12 Kings Ride Camberley GU15 4JG

Firm ID: 68699

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Reasons/basis

Who does this decision relate to?

Syriah Gordon-Jones whose last known address was in Wandsworth, Surrey. A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

Summary of decision

The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Miss Gordon-Jones can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

Miss Gordon-Jones, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on her part that it is undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

The facts of the case

Miss Gordon-Jones was employed by Neale Turk Rochfort (the firm) as an accounts manager between 13 May and 20 October 2020. It was found that on or around 20 October 2020, Miss Gordon-Jones:

1. accessed the mySRA accounts of partners at the firm and made amendments to SRA records, as well as an application for removal from the roll of solicitors, without their permission.
2. contacted the firm’s accountants and directed them to prepare a payslip for her salary and notice pay of £5,000, when this was not authorised or agreed by the firm.
3. made racist and abusive comments towards the partners of the firm, including threats of harm.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Miss Gordon-Jones’ conduct meant that it was undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA’s prior approval. The order pursuant to section 43 was made with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Miss Gordon-Jones of this decision:

Miss Gordon-Jones’ conduct was serious because it demonstrated a number of incidents over several hours and day. Miss Gordon-Jones was directly responsible for her own conduct. Her conduct had the potential to cause significant harm to the partners at the firm.

Miss Gordon-Jones was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA’s costs of £600.

What our Section 43 order means

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. (ii) no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body