Editor, Solicitors Journal

MONEY LAUNDERING

1 Jan 2019News

Figures from the National Crime Agency reveal that the number of suspicious activity reports (SARs) filed by the legal profession were down by 12% last year. The overall number was up 10% on the previous year at 463,938, but just 2,660 of those were from lawyers. Solicitors were responsible for the majority legal SARs, 30 of which involved terrorist finance. Of the others, 77 were from licensed conveyancers, nine from barristers and 181 from other legal professionals. EMAIL BULLY Solicitor Tim Bennett has been fined £5,000 at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after describing a potential client as a 'nutter', 'crazy man' and 'total asshole' in correspondence with colleagues. Bennett's tirade was sparked by a disagreement over a retainer payment. In one email the client was described as 'a dishonest and disgusting piece of shit'. Bennett told the SRA, he was 'deeply embarrassed' by his conduct but denied being inclined to 'poke fun at people with mental illness'.

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

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