It's the (Tipp-Ex) cover up that gets you.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has struck off a lawyer who falsified documents by using Tipp-Ex to change the dates.
Nicholas Gething was an experienced property lawyer at Howell Jones who had to register legal charges at Companies House for two property transactions. But he made errors on the application forms and missed the 21 day deadline.
As a "quick fix", the property lawyer used Tipp-ex to re-date the documents. He submitted copies of the charges with the new dates, to make it appear that they had been delivered within the registration deadline. The property lawyer was eventually rumbled and Howell Jones referred him to the SRA.
Gething told the tribunal that he was "embarrassed" for getting into this position and acknowledged, on reflection, that his conduct was wrong. But he said he had believed at the time that his actions were "common practice", as he claimed that colleagues had told him during his career that changing the dates on documents was "one way of dealing with late applications".
The tribunal found that Gething had shown "some degree of insight during the hearing" but "still did not appear to grasp the gravity of his actions". The SDT said it was "absolutely sacrosanct" that solicitors did not mislead third parties who relied on the integrity of documents, and also criticised Gething for concealing the cover-up from his client and the mortgage lenders.
Gething's "deliberate" actions had been "dishonest", said the SDT. He was struck off the roll and ordered to pay costs of £5,700. The judgment can be read in full, here.
This is not the first case of someone in the legal profession using correction fluid in a desperate act of deception.
Comments
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There is no such thing as a time limit for a Free Man.
Free Men have no limits except those from God and Nature.
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Who can save you? Dr The Right Honourable The Lord Harley of Counsel of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, the mild-mannered janitor? Could be!
Cho chicly lo chicly bow wow wow
Dong diggity dong diggity dong dong dong!!
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What, so you mean to say, this isn't allowed?
Only joking.
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riiight, so the bazza with a dishonesty conviction is suspended?
[I think it's the right decision BTW, too senior to expect that defence to work]
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Quite right. Yet another ageing white man with a superiority complex thinking that he is above the law that applies to everyone else. Probably still thinks that Britannia rules the waves and that he can annex large parts of Africa just by Tipp-Exing the map.
Glad that he's gone so that a place can be freed up for some more diverse applicants.
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@09:13
What is with all the trolling on ROF that is happening over the past few weeks and why is it being allowed?
@10:09
Yet again more racist comments against "ageing white man".
Seriously ROF, WTF!? Why are you allowing such comments to be made EVERY week. Btw, I'm the mixed race middle eastern chap who asked the exact same question last week.
Sort it out.
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I worked with this individual at one of his previous firms albeit in a different team and he was forced to leave that firm due to another significant cock up on a conveyancing transaction. Iam amazed he was not struck off prior to now.
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@10:39, If you aren't comfortable with thought provoking comments asking you to consider your own privilege, and to reflect for just a few moments on the difficulties that BAME people face when trying to succeed in the law, then perhaps the problem isn't with other people.
Just let it sink in for a moment: why are you so outraged by other people talking about structural inequality? Why is the thought of more BAME people in the legal profession so scary to you? Why do you feel the need to demand that the whole discussion be shut down before it starts?
Are you perhaps scared that equality for others would mean taking away unearned privileges from you?
You'll hate the term 'White Fragility' - but I think it's one that you should go look up.
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Yes, surprise surprise that a male from the middle east doesn't want to have a discussion about how we could improve society.
Whatever could he have to lose?
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@10:55
I'm the guy you replied to. Also, if you read my comment, you will note that I'm from middle eastern heritage and quite clearly not white. Awkward.
I'm quite frankly disappointed that ROF is allowing such repeat comments.
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Sorry @11:39/10:39, but it sounds like @10:55 has a point.
Whatever your heritage, you seem inexplicably angry at the idea of other BAME people being allowed to succeed in law. You would clearly benefit from some introspection as to why you feel that way.
I think you sound like an ideal candidate for an unconscious bias training session.
FYI - White Privilege isn't something exclusive to people who are ethnically white. People who assume white identities and take on privileged roles in societies that place a high value on cultural whiteness can also possess it. I suspect you are one of those people.
Again. You would benefit from learning about how structural inequality actually operates in the UK. You should attend a training session.
You almost certainly enjoy an enormous amount of White Privilege on a personal level.
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isn't all structural law basically white cultural privilege? the use of power to organise the world into what we consider fair and reasonable?
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Quite right, the English legal system is the last bastion of Empire and needs to be thoroughly decolonialised. It's why the overrepresentation of white men amongst the legal profession is such a pressing problem. Their perpetuation of so-called Common Law is the root cause of most inequality in our society - it's just white men making up rules to suit themselves as they go along.
We are all still literally living in an imperialist colonial state until that position is ended. It's one of the main reasons for Brexit.
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@13:41
haha what the hell are you talking about!?
I certainly have not assumed a white identity (not being white) and have got to my current position and role through hard work.
Pipe down, you absolute muppet.
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There are some absolute loser trolls on ROF now.
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Quite concerning that there are so many posters here who don't understand how a demand for Cultural Whiteness perpetuates inequality in the UK. Little wonder then that the English Tories have an 80 seat majority.
Makes you quite pessimistic about the prospect of greater diversity in the profession any time this generation.
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Weird that an article about someone being struck off turns into a debate about race. It's hard to tell these days if people are doing it seriously or just looking to start some controversy.
For my part I will say I am sorry to hear of this fellow's fall from grace, because it must be a personal tragedy for him, and that anyone who takes a genuine delight in his misfortune because of the colour of his skin is a disgusting bigot.
I am however glad that the profession insists on high standards of conduct.
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Quite concerning uni law students keep posting on here and putting Random words in Uppercase.
Cultural whiteness isn't a thing, you berk.
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I demand cultural whiteness so I use Daz in every wash. It washes out all trace of disability, social disadvantage, poverty, sex, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, family circumstances, class and background and comes out shining as undifferentiated and utterly irrefutable "privilege" for everyone white*
*warning: may may be unable to clean off bullshit from anyone who needs a convenient excuse for their failures.