Unregistered barrister Victor Adiamah was prevented from applying for a practising certificate for nine months by an independent disciplinary tribunal which concluded on 27 October following charges of professional misconduct brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
It revealed the tribunal’s decision follows a personal injury claim at Bradford Combined Court Centre on 6 March 2019 arising from a road traffic collision.
Adiamah discontinued his claim for compensation without explaining discrepancies between his own case and with the other driver’s unchallenged evidence, leading the judge in the case to find Adiamah “fundamentally dishonest”.
According to the BSB, the disciplinary tribunal found that Adiamah had behaved in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine his honesty.
The tribunal also found that in a witness statement which formed part of the same claim for personal injury compensation dated 21 July 2018, Adiamah held himself out as a practising barrister when he was not authorised to do so, diminishing the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession.
The tribunal’s decision is open to appeal.
A BSB spokesperson said: “Behaving in a way which leads a judge to describe you as fundamentally dishonest and holding yourself out as a practising barrister when you are not entitled to do so are serious matters.
“The tribunal’s decision to prevent Mr Adiamah from applying for a practising certificate for nine months reflects the expectation that barristers are not only honest but are seen to act honestly, including when they appear as a party to a case.”
