High Court refers contempt solicitor to SRA

The High Court has ordered that the way immigration cases were handled by a solicitor found guilty of contempt of court should be referred to the SRA.

In a highly unusual move, Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Cranston also 'invited' the regulator to launch an urgent investigation into Consilium Chambers, a two partner firm in the East End. Sir John Thomas will be taking over as Lord Chief Justice from Lord Judge in September.

In the light of its decision, the court said it would take no further action against Benny Thomas, senior partner of the firm. A spokeswoman for the judicial office said the matter related to emergency, out-of-hours applications to High Court judges for injunctions to stop deportations.

In an order made after an ex tempore hearing earlier this week, the court said Thomas had been called before it to explain his failure to comply with the civil procedure rules, reasons for lodging claims which amounted to an abuse of process and "misstating" the client's position on the papers.

The High Court said it was satisfied that Thomas was guilty of contempt. The SRA was urged to consider, in its investigation of the firm, the firm's continuing fitness to practice and findings from this week's hearing "in relation to the untruthfulness of evidence" given by Thomas to the court.

A spokesman for the SRA said: "If matters are being referred to us from the High Court, then we'll await that referral and then make a decision on what to do next."