A London public access barrister who last month was handed a two year suspension for failing to reimburse a lay client has been sanctioned again by a disciplinary tribunal.
In a ruling yesterday, the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service handed down three further suspension orders against Oliver White, who was called to the bar in 2001. Yesterday’s orders will run concurrently with those handed down last month.
It is the third time that White, who previously practised at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, has appeared before the tribunal. In 2015 two rulings against him led to a £3,000 charge and a six-month ban from public access work.
The latest decision imposed two 18-month sentences for work the barrister carried out in 2015 while he was already suspended and another six-month suspension for failing to cooperate with the Bar Standards Board.
However, the BSB said today that the latest suspension would run alongside last month’s suspension order and that White would serve only a two year suspension.
Last month’s ruling relates to an incident in December 2015 when the Legal Services Ombudsman ordered White to return £3,000.
The ombudsman told White to repay all the money by January 2016. However, he failed to reimburse any or all of the fees, prompting the BSB to begin disciplinary action.
Sara Jagger, director of professional conduct at the BSB, said: ‘Yesterday’s decision shows that not complying with regulatory obligations, including decisions of independent tribunals, can have serious consequences.
‘It diminishes the trust and confidence the public places in the profession and the tribunal’s decision to impose lengthy suspensions on White reflects the severity of these actions.’
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