Trainee solicitor barred from profession over ‘inappropriate’ behaviour at firm social

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By Sophie Dillon on

19

Lasting impact on female colleague


A former trainee solicitor has been barred from working in the legal profession after engaging in “inappropriate” conduct towards a colleague during a work social event.

James Chisholm, whose last known address was in Redcar, North Yorkshire, was employed at Newcastle outfit KK & Co Solicitors between March 2021 and October 2023.

At a firm-funded event organised by staff in October 2022, he was found to have “touched a colleague in an inappropriate and/or unwanted and/or sexually motivated manner without consent, causing them distress”.

The SRA found that his behaviour has had “a lasting impact” on the colleague.

Following an investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Chisholm was issued a section 43 order, restricting him from working in an SRA-regulated law firm without prior approval from the regulator.

The regulator concluded that it was undesirable for him to be involved in legal practice, citing the need to maintain trust in the profession.

The former trainee has also been ordered to pay £1,350 towards the SRA’s investigation costs.

Chisholm should not be confused with another solicitor of the same name who qualified nearly 30 years ago and is unrelated to this regulatory finding.

19 Comments

Wibble

Was he prosecuted? If not, why not?

Assuming (a big assumption) that this incident was too trivial to warrant police action, can it nonetheless be so serious as to result in someone losing their livelihood?

(136)(26)

.

Yes

J

And for this website to name and shame them no less

Anon

He’s not barred from having a job, just from having a specific and special position of responsibility within society.

me only

Hahahaha – lol at solicitors still being seen as somehow having a special position in society. You’re about 40 years too late

Anon

Different standards of proof surely? I imagine it’s less about the triviality of what took place (we don’t know what it was!) but rather that the police only prosecutes where they’re pretty sure they can obtain a beyond reasonable doubt conviction, which the SRA (and employers) don’t contend with. There are a quite a few situations where partners have been kicked out of firms for harassment but haven’t ended up in prison…

Still, I understand the view that the total bar from the profession is disproportionate.

Archibald O'Pomposity

“Assuming (a big assumption) that this incident was too trivial to warrant police action, can it nonetheless be so serious as to result in someone losing their livelihood?”

Of course it could, you giant arse. Do you think the only people who can be fairly dismissed from a job are those whose conduct was criminal?

Robert Ward

If he was a partner then I guess the SRA would have given him a stern look and then sent him back to work. They only seem to come down hard on junior staff

Never

Sounds completely disproportionate. Where is the issue with “trust in the profession”?

Riothamus

If there is anyone bringing the profession of solicitor into disrepute it is the stupidity of the SRA.They should restrain their meddling interference to business and client matters and leave what happened here to employment law.

Anonymous

Yet when I report that a trainee solicitor was impersonating a Barrister in the Strand High Court at a hearing, the SRA does nothing.

Mrs Stewart

Yet when I reported a Trainee Solicitor from a top law firm impersonating a Barrister at the Strand High Court at a hearing the Courts and the SRA do nothing. Strange that🤔

LAI Assoc

Is there a reason the same treatment wasn’t given to the linklaters partner after doing the same in Vienna last year?

Wright

At a function as a trainee solicitor the senior partner suddenly grabbed my blouse and lifted it up exposing me to everyone. I couldn’t say anything as I was afraid of losing my training contract. That was thirty years ago. The trauma is still with me.
Men need to understand this kind of behaviour is not trivial and can have lasting consequences

River

What specifically was exposed?

Dean

Great question River. The one we were all thinking.

Mandy

In this instance your ignorance

Stephen

Take at look at WPA2023.co.uk

Archibald O'Pomposity

Bet nobody does that any more.

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