Khaaan

The SRA comes knocking


The ex-chair of the Civil Justice Committee of the Law Society has had her firm closed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

The regulator has intervened into the practice of Soophia Khan at her firm Sophie Khan & Co Ltd, in Leicester. Khan is the director of legal and policy for the Police Action Centre, which provides advice for actions against the police. 

"The grounds of intervention are reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Ms Khan, and a failure to adhere to the SRA’s rules and regulations," said a spokesman for the SRA. Under the intervention, the SRA has closed Khan's practice in Leicester, and also suspended her practising certificate. 

The intervention also means that Khan's firm will cease operations, as the regulator takes possession of all documents and papers held by the firm, as well as all money held by the firm (including clients' money). The SRA has appointed an agent to deal with matters held by Sophie Khan & Co. 

The regulator said it could not disclose the nature of the allegations at this stage, but confirmed that it is investigating "the issues raised that have led to this intervention to see if any additional action is necessary". 

The SRA won a case against Khan in January this year, when the High Court ruled that Khan failed to comply with court order to produce files to the SRA, despite her claim that she had hand-delivered the documents.

Khan also got into a few scraps with the Law Society during her time as Chair of the Civil Justice Committee. In May 2018, the President of the Law Society suspended Khan, but she refused to accept his decision, and said he did not have the power to remove her. Later that year, Khan claimed the Law Society spiked her chances of being elected to another position, and accused the panel of being too white. She was expelled by the Law Society in 2019, but said at the time that the Law Society had got it wrong, and she would seek a Judicial Review. 


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Comments

Lord Lester 03 September 21 11:05

Pretty sure that the BSB will conclude this was all a simple misunderstanding.

Roscoe P. Coltrane 03 September 21 16:15

Sounds like the Law Society holds a grudge against Khan and the closure of her firm and suspension of her practising certificate is not in good faith. I guess Khan will now focus full-time on suing the Law Society/SDT (probably successfully)...

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