Authors:LAG
Created:2017-05-01
Last updated:2023-09-18
Leigh Day SDT hearing begins
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Administrator
A Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) hearing commenced on 24 April, in which the well-known human rights and legal aid firm, Leigh Day, along with three solicitors at the firm, are accused of misconduct.
Martyn Day and Sapna Malik, partners at the firm, face multiple charges that centre on the claims they brought on behalf of Iraqi citizens captured, injured or killed at the battle of Danny Boy. A third solicitor at the firm, Anna Crowther, is accused of destroying a document. The allegations against the British Army were subsequently found to be fictitious by the Al-Sweady inquiry in 2014.
In a statement on its website, the firm points out that over 300 claims have been settled by the Ministry of Defence, including cases in which Iraqis died while ‘under the custody or control of our army’. The firm argues that while some actions may fail, this ‘does not detract from the principle that lawyers should be able to bring cases before our courts without fear of recrimination or reprisals’.