Christian Joseph Fish
Employee
7264996

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 9 January 2025

Published date: 10 February 2025

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Admiral Law Limited

Address(es): David Street, Cardiff, CF10 2EH, Wales

Firm ID: 596862

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Summary of decision

The SRA has disqualified Mr Fish 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

Reasons/basis

The facts of the case

Mr Fish was a non-authorised individual and a former Business Intelligence Analyst at Admiral Law Limited (the firm) was convicted on 21 June 2024 (having pleaded guilty) and sentenced on 16 August 2024 at Newport Crown Court for the following criminal offences:

• Offender 18 or over cause/ incite a boy 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity – no penetration – Sexual Offences Act 2003. This essentially related to an attempt to cause or incite a child aged 12 years old not reasonably believing he was aged 16 or over to engage in sexual activity of a non-penetrative nature, namely look at images of persons engaging in sexual activity.
• Possess a prohibited image of a child – possession of 3 prohibited images of a child.
• Possess indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child – possession of 27 category C indecent photographs, namely of children who are aged between 2 and 11 years of age.
• Possess indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child – possession of 27 category B indecent photographs, namely of children who are aged between 2 and 11 years of age.
• Possess indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child - possession of 49 category A indecent photographs, namely of children who are aged between 2 and 11 years of age.
• Adult attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child.
• Exposure - intentionally exposed his genitals intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress.

Mr Fish was sentenced to a total of two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, 35 sessions of rehabilitation programme, 30 days rehabilitation activity, 100 hours unpaid work, and a seven-year sexual harm prevention order. Mr Fish was also ordered to pay a £187 victim services surcharge and prosecution costs of £150.

Our decision on sanction

Mr Fish's conduct breached relevant duties that applied to him as an employee of the firm, namely, Principles 1, 2 and 5 of the SRA Principles 2019. It was found that it would be undesirable for Mr Fish 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.

Mr Fish was disqualified from holding any of these roles.

He was also directed to pay costs of £600.

SRA Principle 1: You act in a way that upholds the constitutional principle of the rule of law, and the proper administration of justice.

SRA Principle 2: You act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons.

SRA Principle 5: You act with integrity.