The allegations centred on the Respondent’s alleged deletion of email chains from the Firm’s case management system relating to a client complaint and the handling arising from the drafting of the client’s Particulars of Claim (PoC). The Applicant alleged that the Respondent improperly deleted the email correspondence. Specifically, it was said she had removed these emails to conceal her involvement in the issues raised in the complaint. This action, according to the Applicant breached several principles and codes of conduct, including those related to honesty, integrity, and supervision of junior staff.

The Respondent accepted making the deletions but denied the alleged breaches of the Principles and Codes of Conduct, citing health issues and disputing the underlying relevance of the emails.

The Tribunal found the allegation proved in full, including dishonesty and all Principle breaches and the breach of the code. The Tribunal found on the balance of probabilities, that the Respondent had knowingly deleted the e-mails. In applying the test in Ivey the Tribunal found the Respondent to have been dishonest. The Tribunal considered the character evidence and information regarding her circumstances at the time of the events but reached the view that this material was not sufficient to satisfy it that she did not knowingly delete the emails and that she had not been dishonest.

The Respondent was suspended from practice for 12 months.