A solicitor who made unjustified legal threats in letters sent to some 240 schools over Covid safety measures has been fined £2,500.
Lois Yvonne Bayliss was found by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to have sent letters containing implied legal threats to between 244-247 schools and more than 400 recipients. She relied on her position as a solicitor to tell recipients they could be at risk of criminal/civil liability if they required face masks to be worn in schools, carried out routine lateral flow tests or facilitated Covid vaccinations for children aged 12-17, the tribunal found.
Part of the first allegation, which accused Bayliss of encouraging others to send the letters, was found not proved and a second allegation that the threats were misleading was also found not proved.
SDT panel chair Lisa Boyce said the panel’s findings were based on Bayliss’ conduct as a solicitor and not her beliefs. She added: ‘We find the letters were threatening and find that part of the allegation proved on the basis it was an implied threat. There was some evidence of encouragement but not enough to make a finding of encouraging others to send letters.’
The panel added that it found Bayliss in breach of principles 2 and 5 of the 2019 Principles and rule 1.2 of the Code of Conduct for Individuals 2019 taking into consideration the totality of the misconduct.
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Peter Field, for Bayliss, said Bayliss, of Sheffield-based firm Broad Yorkshire Law, had ‘a long-standing career of 18 years in practice, 11 years running her own firm [and] an unblemished record’. He added: ‘In that context, the circumstances are clearly extraordinary, it is not [Bayliss’] normal course of behaviour. It is almost beyond question her purpose was to protect children.’
Bayliss, admitted in 2006, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £30,000 costs.
A written judgment will be published in due course.
