LONDON: An Indian-origin lawyer has been suspended from practicing as a lawyer for two years after a disciplinary tribunal concluded that his misconduct in having sexual relations with junior female colleagues at a UK law firm outweighed his seniority. And there is abuse of position of authority. ,
Jaswinder Singh Gill, 50, faced the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal last month after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) decided to prosecute him after finding a "case worthy of answer".
The independent tribunal heard that Gill behaved inappropriately with several unnamed female colleagues and had consensual sexual relations between 2015 and 2020.
"His conduct... was inappropriate because, as the defendant [Gill] acknowledged, treating junior female employees in this manner when he was a senior partner of the firm and a lawyer in his forties, There was an underlying power imbalance, and each of them, as more junior and younger colleagues, might have prevented her from engaging with him and/or refused his requests,' in last week's tribunal decision document. written.
It reads, “The defendant repeatedly used his position of influence and authority in the workplace to create conditions in which office relationships with sexual intent were initiated and carried forward by him.,
Tribunal A. The judgment, signed by the banks' chairman, said Gill was an "experienced and well-known lawyer who had built a thriving practice", but that he had conducted himself towards more junior staff in a way that was "wrong and inappropriate". .
It added, "The tribunal's assessment of the factual circumstances of this case and the seriousness of the misconduct required that a fixed period of suspension was an appropriate sanction in this case and nothing less was necessary to protect the reputation of the legal profession." Was."
Under the tribunal's order, Gill will be suspended from practicing as a lawyer for 24 months from May 21 and will also have to pay application costs of GBP 85,501.10.
There is a right to apply to the Tribunal to vary or cancel these sanctions at any time after the end of the 24-month suspension period.
Jaswinder Singh Gill, 50, faced the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal last month after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) decided to prosecute him after finding a "case worthy of answer".
The independent tribunal heard that Gill behaved inappropriately with several unnamed female colleagues and had consensual sexual relations between 2015 and 2020.
"His conduct... was inappropriate because, as the defendant [Gill] acknowledged, treating junior female employees in this manner when he was a senior partner of the firm and a lawyer in his forties, There was an underlying power imbalance, and each of them, as more junior and younger colleagues, might have prevented her from engaging with him and/or refused his requests,' in last week's tribunal decision document. written.
It reads, “The defendant repeatedly used his position of influence and authority in the workplace to create conditions in which office relationships with sexual intent were initiated and carried forward by him.,
Tribunal A. The judgment, signed by the banks' chairman, said Gill was an "experienced and well-known lawyer who had built a thriving practice", but that he had conducted himself towards more junior staff in a way that was "wrong and inappropriate". .
It added, "The tribunal's assessment of the factual circumstances of this case and the seriousness of the misconduct required that a fixed period of suspension was an appropriate sanction in this case and nothing less was necessary to protect the reputation of the legal profession." Was."
Under the tribunal's order, Gill will be suspended from practicing as a lawyer for 24 months from May 21 and will also have to pay application costs of GBP 85,501.10.
There is a right to apply to the Tribunal to vary or cancel these sanctions at any time after the end of the 24-month suspension period.