Alan Blacker, the self-styled Lord who came to the public's attention after a judge compared him to "something out of Harry Potter" has been struck off and ordered to pay £86,000 costs.

Blacker was charged by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority with breaches which included failing to produce his firm's accounts, making claims to be entitled to use titles which were misleading or inaccurate and failing to co-operate with the investigation. He was found guilty on all charges except recklessly misleading court when he appeared before 'Harry Potter' Judge Wynn Morgan.

Blacker accused the SRA of deliberately scheduling the tribunal so that it took place on his birthday and did not appear at the hearing. And in his absence the SRA set about rubbishing Blacker's extraordinary 12,500 word LinkedIn profile as it appeared in 2014. In it, Blacker listed dozens of varied achievements, including:
 

• Over 32 certifications including "Licensed Boiler Examiner".
• An impressive 39 volunteer positions, including Secretary of "International Friends of East Africa" and "Action for Pakistan".
• Education at Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin colleges.
• Three patents, including one for the "Hedgehog" mortar weapon.
• Interests ranging from "engaging the legal system at various levels" to "giraffes and Steam Power".

But sadly his CV was more Leadsom than legendary. None of Oxford, Cambridge or Dublin Universities had any record of Blacker (or a Lord Harley). Huddersfield University disputed that he was awarded a first class law degree, saying that he only passed. And although Blacker's claimed DPhil from "Trinity College" was understood to refer to Oxford University, he later admitted to the SRA that the 'doctorate' was actually obtained from somewhere in Canada. He refused to explain to the SRA exactly how he obtained his doctor title, saying it would be "wholly inappropriate"
 

Expelliarmus

The SRA highlighted other inconsistencies. Blacker claimed that he was an accredited member of the Association of Military Court Advocates, the only problem being that the AMCA doesn't have accredited members. He also said that he didn't place client advice letters on file because he couldn't justify "such an extravagant use of paper". And he claimed that he quit a career in banking in the late 1980s, which would have made him 17 at the time.

Blacker has been derided for bringing the profession into disrepute, pitied as a fantasist and probably deserves a break. At least he has lots of hobbies to fall back on.