But every case will be dealt with on its merits, SRA insists
A young law graduate’s hopes of becoming a high-flying solicitor now hang in the balance after he admitted to assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.
Harris Imran, 24, put his pregnant partner in “a headlock and grabbed her by the throat” after she threatened to tell his close friend she was carrying his unborn child, according to Gazette Live.
Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that Imran — who was due to begin his Legal Practice Course (LPC) later this year — had been “disowned” by his Muslim family after he entered a mixed-race relationship. He was reportedly “terrified” his friend would shun him too. When Imran’s girlfriend threatened to message the friend in question and reveal she was 17 weeks pregnant, this caused Imran to “flip out”.
Pleading guilty to common assault, Imran was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £105 in costs. But perhaps the law grad’s greatest punishment is still to come.
Defence lawyer Callum Terry told the court that Imran, who recently finished a law degree and had spent time working as a paralegal in Newcastle, “wanted to become a solicitor”. But it’s an ambition, according to Terry, that may never be fulfilled. He said:
“That route will be closed to him and he won’t be admitted as a solicitor which is a significant barrier to him moving forward.”
But there could still be hope for Imran. “All potential entrants to the profession must complete the Suitability Test, which includes declaring any past convictions, to see if they are a fit and proper person to deliver legal services to the public,” a spokesperson for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) told Legal Cheek. They continued:
“Every application is dealt with on its merits, there are no convictions or otherwise that lead to an automatic refusal.”