Lawyer of Indian origin suspended from British law firm for abuse of office

LONDON: An Indian-origin lawyer has been suspended from practising law for two years after a disciplinary tribunal found that his misconduct of pursuing sexual relationships with junior female colleagues in a British law firm amounted to abuse of his position of service and authority. Jasvinder Singh Gill, 50, appeared before the Barristers’ Disciplinary Tribunal last month after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) decided to prosecute him as it found a “case for resolution”.

The independent tribunal found that Gill had behaved inappropriately towards a number of unnamed female colleagues and had entered into consensual sexual relationships between 2015 and 2020.

“His conduct … was inappropriate because, as the defendant (Gill) admits, he behaved in this way towards younger female employees despite the inherent power imbalance between him as a senior partner in the firm and a lawyer in his 40s, and each of them acting as junior and more junior colleagues. This might have deterred them from refusing to work with him and/or refusing his requests,” the tribunal’s ruling document last week said.

“The defendant repeatedly exploited his position of influence and authority in the workplace to create situations in which he initiated and continued office relationships with sexual intent,” it states.

The judgment, signed by the tribunal’s chairman, A. Banks, said Gill was an “experienced and respected lawyer who had built a thriving business” but that his conduct towards younger staff was “wrong and inappropriate”.

“The factual circumstances of this case and the Court’s assessment of the seriousness of the misconduct required that fixed-term suspension was the appropriate sanction in this case and that nothing less was necessary to protect the reputation of the legal profession,” it added.

According to the court’s decision, Gill will be suspended from practising law for 24 months from 21 May and will also have to pay application costs of £85,501.10.

After the 24-month suspension period has expired, you have the right to apply to a court to modify or lift these restrictions at any time.