The Applicant brought proceedings against the Respondent, a solicitor with 22 years of experience, for her conduct in witnessing a Power of Attorney (PoA) document in June 2021. The main allegation was that she falsely attested to witnessing both donors sign the PoA in her presence when one donor, Person A, had actually signed at home. The PoA was created to enable a proxy marriage in Cameroon, which Person A claimed she was unaware of until discovering a marriage certificate months later. The SRA alleged breaches of professional principles including dishonesty, lack of integrity, and failure to act in clients’ best interests.

The Tribunal found the dishonesty allegation not proved, accepting that the Respondent acted from “misplaced compassion” and genuinely held moral beliefs rather than dishonest intent, particularly given the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, her personal bereavements, and health issues. However, the Tribunal did find that she lacked integrity and breached public trust by departing from professional standards, even with good intentions. She was given a suspended suspension of 6 months (suspended for 1 year conditional on completing 10 hours of professional development in specified topics) and ordered to pay £15,000 in costs.