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A senior barrister has been disbarred after failing to disclose to the regulator a string of prior motor offences, spanning drink-driving and driving while disqualified.
A pattern of serious motoring offences and repeated failures to disclose criminal convictions to regulators has resulted in a senior UK barrister being disbarred.
The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service heard that in June 2019, Paul Wynell-Sutherland was charged with drink-driving after recording a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit, alongside an offence of failing to stop when directed by police.
For this conduct, he was convicted the following month of three offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Despite clear professional obligations requiring barristers to promptly notify their regulator of any criminal convictions, he failed to inform the Bar Standards Board (BSB) of the convictions in a timely manner.
But the misconduct was not an isolated incident.
Several years later, Wynell-Sutherland again found himself before the courts over further driving offences.
The tribunal heard that the barrister continued to flout road laws in March and May 2023, driving while disqualified and, when suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol, failing without reasonable excuse to provide a breath sample when required by police.
Those incidents ultimately led to further convictions in February 2024.
As with his earlier convictions, Wynell-Sutherland again failed to promptly notify the Bar Standards Board (BSB) of the outcome.
In assessing both the offences and Wynell-Sutherland’s repeated failure to notify the BSB of his convictions, the tribunal concluded that his conduct was likely to “diminish the trust and confidence” that the public places in individual practitioners and the legal profession as a whole.
While Wynell-Sutherland admitted to all five charges brought against him, the tribunal ordered that he be disbarred, with no order for costs made.
Responding to the ruling, a spokesperson for the Bar Standards Board stressed that the public is entitled to expect barristers to obey the law and promptly report any criminal convictions to their regulator.
“The public should be able to expect barristers not to break the law. Barristers also have an obligation to inform their regulator when they are convicted of a criminal offence,” the spokesperson said.
“In this case, Mr Wynell-Sutherland repeatedly failed to meet these expectations, and his conduct fell below the high standards reasonably expected of barristers. The sanction reflects this.”
