Snipping tool
A senior paralegal at DWF has been rebuked after pasting a witness’s signed statement of truth onto a different, inaccurately transcribed statement without her permission.
Korie Rose, a senior paralegal in the firm’s motor team, was handling a matter in which a witness sent a typed statement with handwritten amendments to the firm in September 2024. According to the published ruling, Rose transcribed the amendments into a new typed statement, but did so inaccurately, and then used a snipping tool to lift the witness’s signed statement of truth from the original and paste it onto the transcribed version. He disclosed it to the claimant’s solicitors, who included it in the trial bundle.
The issue came to light the following month when the witness told the court the statement was not one she had signed. Court time was lost establishing how the document had come to exist, further time was wasted emailing copies of the original to the judge for him to print and distribute, and a further hearing was subsequently ordered. The director of the motor team at DWF was required to file an affidavit.
In mitigation, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) took into account that Rose apologised, demonstrated genuine remorse, and accepted responsibility immediately. The regulator also noted there was no evidence of dishonest intent, no pattern of behaviour, and that the trial itself was not ultimately impeded. Rose is described as a senior paralegal with more than ten years’ experience who supervises others in his role.
The SRA said a rebuke was the appropriate sanction, noting that the conduct had the potential to mislead the court and that a deterrent was needed to discourage others from taking similar shortcuts.
In addition to the written rebuke, Rose was ordered to pay £300 in costs to the regulator.