Editor, Solicitors Journal

SDT REBUKES RACIST

10 Jan 2020News

The SDA has found a solicitor with 43 years in the profession guilty of sexual harassment and racist behaviour. Simpkins partner Samuel Maurice Charkham was reported to have repeatedly groped female members of staff at the firm, and to have regularly made racist and anti-Semitic remarks. In one incident, the 68-year-old partner was reported to have run through the office impersonating the Ku Klux Klan with a white envelope on his head. Charkham's defence included an admission that he had an 'old fashioned sense of humour'.

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

Latest Articles

Sorry seems to be the hardest word… changes afoot for the law of apologies

Oliver Lock from Farrer & Co takes a closer look at the changes being proposed to legislation to facilitate apologies without admitting liability

Merricks v Mastercard: the first contested settlement of a funded class action

Emma Carr and Louise Macdonald from Gowling WLG provide an overview of the ruling and its significance

Optis v Apple: Court of Appeal redefines FRAND principles for global SEP licensing

Court of Appeal overturns High Court ruling, restoring comparables-based FRAND valuation and reshaping SEP dispute standards.

Law Society voices concerns over Data Act

The Law Society supports the Data Act's goal to modernise data use while raising concerns about privacy protections

New law tightens citizenship appeal rules

A new law aims to keep potential security threats from regaining British citizenship during appeal processes

Overcrowded prisons lead to increased violence

New research highlights a concerning link between overcrowded prisons and rising violence rates among inmates

New law promotes equality in sentencing

A new law ensures that pre-sentence reports will fairly treat individuals irrespective of race or religion

High Court Clarifies Cost Liability in Illiquidx v Altana Trade Secrets Case

Costs ruling highlights precision’s impact in complex commercial confidentiality disputes.

Privy Council Clarifies Easement Registration in Cayman Shores Development Ruling

Privy Council overturns misclassified recreational rights as easements in landmark Cayman Islands property case.

Rasmala v Trafigura: Key Restitution and Unjust Enrichment Ruling

The High Court has dismissed a $21 million restitution claim in Rasmala Trade Finance Fund v Trafigura PTE Ltd (2025), with significant implications for recovery in commercial fraud cases involving innocent third parties.

Protecting the public interest in the practice of law

The SRA relies on self-reporting to function, yet confusion and inertia risk enabling professional misconduct.

The report on improving family court services for children is an unsurprisingly depressing read for family law practitioners

Rachel Frost-Smith, Legal Director of the Family Team at Birketts, shares her experience of the impact of the delays in family court proceedings