Barrister Carly S Walters was ordered to be disbarred by an independent disciplinary tribunal which concluded on 28 September 2023 following findings of professional misconduct on four charges brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). This follows a previous decision by the tribunal in July to suspend her from practice for six months.
The tribunal found that, when asked whether she had any unspent convictions while being interviewed for a role as an employed barrister at a firm of solicitors, Ms Walters answered ‘no’ knowing that she was still subject to an unspent conviction for driving with excess alcohol. The Panel found that Ms Walters was dishonest and that her dishonesty was designed to mislead, and they ordered that she should be disbarred.
Commenting on the order, a BSB spokesperson said: “The Core Duties set out in the BSB Handbook oblige barristers to act with honesty and integrity and not to behave in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in them or in the profession. The tribunal found that Ms Walters’ dishonesty was a serious breach of those duties and the indicative sanction for dishonesty is disbarment, unless there are exceptional circumstances.”
The tribunal’s decision is open to appeal.
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