By Lucy Caulkett-
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has confirmed the prosecution of a City lawyer alleged to have made unwanted advances on a colleague. The regulator has referred Geoffrey Howard Julian Critchlow, director at Critchlow and Associates Limited, to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which has said there is a case to answer.
The solicitor who was a senior partner at the former Al Bawardi Critchlow Solicitors, Critchlow us accused of acting inappropriately towards an employee of the firm, identified as Person A, in a way that was inappropriate.
The Critchlow allegedly touched the woman’s leg on one or more occasion; and rubbed her back; and/or kissed he rback and/or rested his head on Person A’s shoulder; and/or touched her bottom in circumstances in which he knew or ought to have known that such conduct was not wanted or invited. Sexual harassment is illegal in all places of work and particularly frowned upon in legal circles where practitioners are well familiar with the law.
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The Solicitors Regulator Authority is investigating up to a dozen cases of sexual harassment from last year alone
The SRA has had its hands full with investigations of various sorts after it placed almost half of firms placed under extra scrutiny for potential money laundering breaches, could now face disciplinary proceedings after alleged failures were exposed. Many solicitors in legal practise find their job stressful and challenges, and some experienced solicitors who are more established sometimes exploit their vulnerabilities.
Over a dozen firms were found to have inadequate processes in place to manage risks around politically exposed persons (PEPs), individuals whose prominence in public life could make them vulnerable to corruption.
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The regulator has so far reviewed 59 firms providing trust and company services which are prone to high risk for criminals laundering money. It is actively investigating 26 for alleged rule breaches. A number of firms have been found to having no risk assessment in place, and there is similar suspicion that insufficient measures have been establish to protect female practitioners from sexual harassment. The SRA will be closely examining practices in different law firms to ensure they are taking all appropriate measures to safeguard the interest of all its staff.
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