12 months
A barrister has been suspended from practice for 12 months after a disciplinary tribunal found he helped his daughter, a former solicitor, breach a High Court injunction that barred her from exercising a right of audience.
Mohammad Tayyab Khan, who was called to the bar in 1972, had six charges of professional misconduct proved against him. The charges arose from his conduct at a pre-inquest hearing in the Coroner’s Court in June 2022.
The tribunal found that Khan lacked integrity, wasted the court’s time, and behaved in a way likely to diminish public trust and confidence in the profession.
Khan’s daughter, former solicitor Soophia Khan , was subject to an injunction made by the High Court in November 2021, which prevented her from exercising a right of audience. At the pre-inquest hearing, Khan appeared as an advocate for the family of the deceased and was accompanied by his daughter.
The tribunal found that Khan took instructions from Soophia during proceedings and relayed her responses to the coroner, therefore knowingly assisting her to breach the injunction. The arrangement, in which Khan read out replies supplied to him by his daughter, was described by the coroner as “completely unworkable”, and a process that was “disjointed, time consuming and would be disruptive to the efficient working of the inquest”.
Khan also made an inaccurate statement to the coroner about the records the Bar Standards Board (BSB) held in respect of his status.
A BSB spokesperson said:
“Barristers have a duty to assist the court and support the administration of justice. Mr Khan’s conduct fell below the standards expected to comply with this. The tribunal considered all the matters carefully and the sanction reflects the seriousness of his actions.”
The tribunal’s findings remain subject to appeal.