Nia
John
Employee
7008485
This individual changed their surname from Taylor on 5 December 2020
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 18 August 2023
Published date: 30 August 2023
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Admiral Law Limited
Address(es): Ty Admiral, David Street, Cardiff, CF10 2EH
Firm ID: 596862
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
To disqualify Mrs John from holding any of the following positions in a licensed body with immediate effect:
- Head of legal practice
- Head of finance and administration
- A manager
- An employee.
Reasons/basis
Summary of decision
The SRA has disqualified Mrs John with immediate effect from holding any of the following roles in law firms regulated by the SRA:
- Head of Legal Practice
- Head of Finance and Administration
- A manager
- An employee.
The facts of the case
It was found that:
- On 26 and 27 January 2021, Mrs John amended and deleted documents from a client’s electronic file, in order to conceal an earlier mistake she had made. In doing so, she acted dishonestly in breach of Principle 4 of the SRA Principles 2019.
- On 20 January 2021, Mrs John sought a client’s instructions to issue court proceedings and failed to tell him that she had already issued proceedings on his behalf. In doing so, she acted without integrity in breach of Principle 5 of the SRA Principles 2019.
Our decision on sanction
Mrs John’s conduct breached relevant duties that applied to her as an employee of the firm, namely SRA Principles 4 and 5 (2019).
It was found that it would be undesirable for her to act as a head of legal practice, head of finance and administration, a manager or an employee of a body licensed in accordance with section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Mrs John was disqualified from holding any of these roles.
Mrs John was also ordered to pay the SRA’s costs of £600.
SRA Principles (2019)
Principle 4 You act with honesty
Principle 5 You act with integrity