SRA: Section 43 order
A trainee solicitor convicted of stalking has been banned from working in the legal profession by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Aqeeb Khan has been made subject to an order under section 43 of the Solicitors Act 1974, which prevents him from working for a law firm without the SRA’s permission.
His conviction predates his time as a trainee at Maurice Andrews Solicitors in Birmingham, a firm that specialises in criminal law.
According to an SRA notice published last week, in November 2016, Mr Khan was tried and convicted by Shropshire Magistrates’ Court of stalking, causing his victim serious alarm or distress which had an adverse effect on her usual day-to-day activities, contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
The conviction related to a course of conduct over two weeks in early 2016 that included making a verbal threat over the telephone and following his victim in a vehicle.
He was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months; to participate in rehabilitation activity up to 20 days within the supervision period of 12 months; a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching, contacting or attempting to contact the victim in any way whatsoever until 11 January 2020; and to pay a fine of £150, a victim surcharge of £115 and Crown Prosecution Service costs of £750.
Mr Khan’s appeal was dismissed in February 2018 by Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The SRA said his conviction was such that it was “undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice”.
The section 43 order took effect 28 days after it was made in early June. He was also ordered to pay the SRA costs of £300.