Failed to promptly inform regulator
A barrister has been disbarred after racking up a string of motoring offences which he then failed to report promptly to the regulator.
Paul Wynell-Sutherland, called to the bar back in 2000, was ordered to be disbarred by an independent disciplinary tribunal earlier this month, which found five charges of professional misconduct proved against him.
The charges boiled down to a finding that Wynell-Sutherland had behaved in a way likely to diminish the trust and confidence the public places in him or the profession.
It started back in June 2019, when he drove after drinking over the legal limit and then failed to stop when police told him to. He was convicted the following month but failed to promptly inform the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
Then, in separate incidents in 2023, the barrister drove while disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence. He was also suspected of driving while unfit through drink and, having been required to provide a breath test, refused without reasonable excuse. He was convicted of these offences in February 2024 but again failed to report them promptly to the regulator.
A spokesperson for the BSB said:
“The public should be able to expect barristers not to break the law. Barristers also have an obligation to inform their regulator when they are convicted of a criminal offence. In this case, Mr Wynell-Sutherland repeatedly failed to meet these expectations, and his conduct fell below the high standards reasonably expected of barristers. The sanction reflects this.”
The tribunal’s findings remain subject to appeal.