Courts: Solicitor got in through alternative entrance
A tribunal judge who let a solicitor bypass security checks to enter a courthouse – leading to a confrontation with security staff – has been given formal advice for misconduct.
The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) said Judge Jenna McKinney had apologised for her actions, which she took in order for a case to proceed.
At the time (May 2024), Judge McKinney held appointments as a magistrate and a tribunal judge in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. She has since resigned from the magistracy.
A JCIO notice said that, while sitting as a magistrate, she enabled a duty solicitor who had been declined re-entry to the court for refusing to comply with security checks, to get back into court through “an alternative entrance”.
“This led to a dispute between the solicitor and security staff, resulting in the solicitor having to be restrained.”
Judge McKinney explained that, when the solicitor was refused re-entry to the court, she felt the bench had to decide how to deal with the situation.
“Her aim was solely to ensure that a case involving several parties who were due to be represented by the solicitor was able to proceed. She accepted with hindsight that her actions were inappropriate and apologised for them.”
In recommending a sanction of formal advice, the investigation took into account her apology. “She had not been assisted by others present at the time and was motivated by a desire to ensure that the hearing went ahead,” the JCIO notice went on.
“She engaged fully with the investigation process and had a previously unblemished disciplinary record.”
The Senior President of Tribunals, Sir Keith Lindblom, on behalf of the Lady Chief Justice, and Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood agreed with the recommendation to issue Judge McKinney with formal advice for misconduct.
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