SRA closes contempt solicitor's firm

The SRA has closed down Consilium Chambers, a two partner firm in the East End. In a highly unusual move, the High Court last month 'invited' the SRA to investigate the practice and the way immigration cases were conducted by the firm's senior partner, Benny Thomas.

Thomas had already been found guilty of contempt of court by the High Court, but in the light of their invitation to the regulator, Sir John Thomas, the incoming Lord Chief Justice, and Mr Justice Cranston said they would take no further action.

The SRA announced today that it was suspending the PCs of Benny Thomas and fellow partner, Syed Tanweer Akhtar, with immediate effect.

In a statement, the regulator said there was "reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Benny Thomas as a manager of Consilium Chambers LLP and in connection with his practice as a solicitor".

The SRA said Thomas, Akhtar and the firm as a whole had failed to comply with the SRA Accounts Rules 2011 and the SRA Principles 2011.

"We will stop the firm from operating, take possession of all documents and papers held by the firm (including clients' papers), and take possession of all money held by the firm (including clients' money)."

The SRA said it had appointed an agent to deal with all matters currently held by Consilium Chambers.

A spokeswoman for the judicial office said last month that the judges' concern related to emergency, out-of-hours applications to High Court judges for injunctions to stop deportations.

In an order made after their ex tempore hearing, Sir John, the president of the Queen's Bench Division, and Cranston J said Benny Thomas had been called before it to explain 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, its continuing fitness to practice and findings from the hearing "in relation to the untruthfulness of evidence" given by Thomas to the court.