Outcome:
Control of non-qualified staff (section 43 order)
Outcome date: 7
November
2011
Published date: 4
January
2012
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving
rise to outcome
Name: Cobbetts LLP
Address(es):
58 Mosley Street, Manchester. M2 3HZ
Firm ID: 425778
Outcome details
This outcome was reached
by SRA decision.
Decision details
An Adjudicator found that Mr James Hollingworth, who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor, has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that, in the opinion of the SRA, it would be undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in one or more of the ways mentioned in sub-section (1A) of Section 43 of the Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended). The Adjudicator therefore decided to make an Order under Section 43(2) of the Act that
- (i) no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him, in connection with his practice as a solicitor.
- (ii) no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- (iii) no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- (iv) no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- (v) no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to have an interest in the body except in accordance with a permission granted by the SRA.
Reasons/basis
The Adjudicator was satisfied, on the basis of the evidence provided, that Mr Hollingworth has been convicted of a serious offence of dishonesty committed during the course of his employment by Cobbetts LLP. In those circumstances the Adjudicator considered that it was both appropriate and necessary for the SRA to make an Order, pursuant to Section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended), prohibiting Mr Hollingworth's employment by an entity regulated by the SRA, without the prior permission of the SRA.
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