Misled court
A barrister has been disbarred after acting dishonestly in relation to two criminal trials in Nottingham and Stafford.
Saleema Mahmood, called to the bar in 1999, was granted permission by the court to attend the Nottingham trial remotely so she could be near her ill mother. However, it later emerged that Mahmood had not informed the court that she was also appearing in another trial in Stafford at the same time.
The tribunal found that Mahmood — who admitted the allegations during the hearing — had acted “dishonestly and failed to act with integrity,” according to a statement published by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). It concluded that the appropriate sanction was disbarment.
The tribunal also ordered that Ms Mahmood’s practising certificate be suspended with immediate effect.
Commenting on the decision, a BSB said:
“The public and the profession must be able to have confidence that barristers act with honesty, this being particularly the case in relation to professional commitments. The tribunal’s decision to disbar Ms Mahmood reflects the seriousness of this misconduct and the importance of maintaining trust and confidence in the profession.”
The tribunal’s decision remains open to appeal.