A paralegal who was convicted of raping a child in 2007, and later convicted of failing to comply with his notification requirements, has been made subject to a section 43 order by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Paralegal with two serious convictions banned from profession

Christopher Griffith worked at DWF Law LLP, in Manchester as a paralegal between March 2020 and February 2021. The firm was unaware of either of his convictions.

Griffith, then known as Davies, was convicted of raping a child in Caernarfon in 2007. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.

In 2018, at Mold Crown Court, he was convicted on seven counts of failure to comply with notification requirements relating to his placement on the register. He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.

Imposing a section 43 order, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said: ‘It is undesirable for Mr Griffith to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA’s prior written consent. This was because Mr Griffith’s conduct was serious. He has been convicted of two serious indictable offences, in 2007 and 2018.’

Griffith, who must now have the regulator’s written consent if he is to work in an SRA-regulated firm, was also ordered to pay £650, a proportion of the SRA’s costs.