Jonathan
Munro
Solicitor
348174
Decision - Fined
Outcome: Fine
Outcome date: 15 April 2022
Published date: 26 July 2024
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Jonro Solicitors
Address(es): 81 High Steet, Stony Stratford, MILTON KEYNES, MK11 1AT, England
Firm ID: 513394
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Rebuke and costs
Reasons/basis
Mr Munro is a solicitor. He was the sole principal of Jonro Solicitors (the firm), located at 81 High Street, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes. The firm was a regulated body that closed on 26 August 2020.
Short summary of decision
We have issued Mr Munro with a rebuke for operating his firm without qualifying professional indemnity insurance between 30 September 2018 and 26 August 2020.
Facts of the misconduct
All firms authorised by the SRA are required to have a valid professional indemnity insurance policy to be able to carry on a practice. An SRA investigation identified that the professional indemnity insurance policy for the firm expired on 30 September 2018. SRA rules required that the firm should close on 29 December 2018 at the latest.
Mr Munro continued to practice without insurance until the firm closed on 26 August 2020.
Short summary of decision
It was found that between 30 September 2018 and 26 August 2020, Mr Munro continued to operate as Jonro Solicitors without qualifying insurance.
In so far as this conduct took place between 30 September 2018 and 24 November 2019, Mr Munro acted in breach of Rules 4.1 and 5.1 of the SRA Indemnity Insurance Rules 2013.
In so far as this conduct took place between 29 December 2018 and 24 November 2019, Mr Munro acted in breach of Rule 4.2(c) of the SRA Indemnity Insurance Rules 2013.
Decision on sanction
It was decided that a rebuke was an appropriate and proportionate sanction. Mr Munro was issued with a written rebuke and ordered to pay costs of £1,350.
Final Decision
This was because Mr Munro’s conduct was serious by reference to the following factors in the SRA Enforcement Strategy:
- Mr Munro, an experienced solicitor and manager of the firm, was personally responsible for his conduct
- His conduct was serious. Solicitors practising without proper insurance poses a considerable risk to client interests, which may not be protected in the event something goes wrong
- Some public sanction was required to protect the public interest. A more serious sanction was not considered to be proportionate by reference to the following factors in the Enforcement Strategy:
- There had been no lasting or significant harm
- There was no evidence that the behaviour had been repeated or formed a pattern of misconduct
- The risk of repetition was low
- There were no allegations of dishonesty or a lack of integrity.
SRA Indemnity Insurance Rules 2013
Rule 4.1 - All firms carrying on a practice during any indemnity period beginning on or after 1 October 2013 must take out and maintain qualifying insurance under these Rules.
Rule 4.2(c) - A firm must…if the firm has been unable to obtain a policy of qualifying insurance prior to the expiry of the extended indemnity period…, cease practice promptly, and by no later than the expiration of the cessation period, unless the firm obtains a policy of qualifying insurance during or prior to the expiry of the cessation period…
Rule 5.1 - Each firm carrying on a practice on or after 1 October 2013, and any person who is a principal of such a firm, must ensure that the firm takes out and maintains qualifying insurance at all times.