It was alleged by the Applicant that the Respondent advised and encouraged reporters from the Daily Mail, one posing as a man seeking entry in the UK and the other his uncle, on fabricating a false narrative upon which to claim asylum. The Applicant’s case relied on transcripts of covert recordings of the Respondent’s meetings with the reporters.

The Respondent denied the alleged misconduct, claiming that his interactions with these individuals consisted of two ‘meet and greet’ sessions outside of any retainer and during which he provided no advice to them. The Respondent disputed the accuracy of the Applicant’s translation of the conversations. These had taken place in a mixture of Punjabi and English, neither of which were the Respondent’s mother tongue, Urdu.

The Tribunal did not find the allegation proved by the Applicant to the required standard (the balance of probabilities) and it dismissed the allegation. The Tribunal made no order for costs.