Past disciplinary findings

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to act with integrity, in that on 28 or 29 April 2022, she sought permission from the Judge in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham in which she was appearing [the Nottingham case], to continue to attend the Nottingham case via CVP on the basis of her mother’s ill health, failing to state, that an additional reason for doing so was to enable her attendance at a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford which was to begin on 3 May 2022.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or the profession, and/or acted in a manner which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her integrity, in that on 28 or 29 April 2022, she sought permission from the Judge in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham in which she was appearing [the Nottingham case], to continue to attend the Nottingham case via CVP on the basis of her mother’s ill health, failing to state, that an additional reason for doing so was to enable her attendance at a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford which was to begin on 3 May 2022.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to observe her duty to the court in the administration of justice and/or misled the Crown Court at Nottingham in that on 28 or 29 April 2022, in requesting permission to appear in the Nottingham case by CVP, she impliedly represented that the sole reason for doing so was her mother’s ill health when an additional reason was to enable her to attend a criminal trial before the Crown Court at Stafford beginning on 3 May 2022.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to act with integrity, in that while acting in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham that started on or about 6 April 2022 [the Nottingham case], and while also instructed in a criminal trial at Stafford Crown Court which commenced on 3 May 2022 [the Stafford case]:
i. On 4 and/or 5 May 2022, having obtained permission to attend the Nottingham case by CVP because of the ill health of her mother, Ms Mahmood, failed to inform the Judge and/or the other counsel in the Nottingham case, that while taking part in the Nottingham case via CVP, she was at the same time appearing in the Stafford case in person; and/or
ii. On 4 and/or 5 May 2022, having obtained permission to attend the Nottingham case by CVP because of the ill health of her mother, Ms Mahmood, created the impression she was exclusively taking part in the Nottingham case by logging on to the CVP link and maintaining her connection to the Nottingham case, when she was also appearing in the Stafford case on 4 and/or 5 May 2022.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or the profession, and/or acted in a manner which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her integrity, in that while acting in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham that started on or about 6 April 2022 [the Nottingham case], and while also instructed in a criminal trial at Stafford Crown Court which commenced on 3 May 2022 [the Stafford case]:
i. On 4 and 5 May 2022, having obtained permission to appear in the Nottingham case by CVP because of her mother’s ill health, she used the opportunity thereby created to attend the Stafford case in person;
ii. On 4 and/or 5 May 2022, having obtained permission to attend the Nottingham case by CVP because of the ill health of her mother, Ms Mahmood, failed to inform the Judge and/or the other counsel in the Nottingham case, that while taking part in the Nottingham case via CVP, she was at the same time appearing in the Stafford case in person; and/or
iii. On 4 and/or 5 May 2022, having obtained permission to attend the Nottingham case by CVP because of the ill health of her mother, Ms Mahmood, created the impression she was exclusively taking part in the Nottingham case by logging on to the CVP link and maintaining her connection to the Nottingham case, when she was also appearing in the Stafford case on 4 and/or 5 May 2022.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to act with integrity, in that on 6 May 2022, Ms Mahmood:
i. Requested to be excused from attendance at proceedings before the Crown Court at Nottingham in which she was appearing [the Nottingham case] due to the passing of her mother and the need to make arrangements for her burial, failing to state, that the, or an additional, reason for doing so was to enable her attendance at a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford that day [the Stafford case]; and/or
ii. Having been so excused so as to be able to make arrangements for her mother’s burial, appeared in court in the Stafford case that day.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or the profession, and/or acted in a manner which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her integrity, in that on 6 May 2022, Ms Mahmood:
i. Requested to be excused from attendance at proceedings before the Crown Court at Nottingham in which she was appearing [the Nottingham case] due to the passing of her mother and the need to make arrangements for her burial, failing to state, that the, or an additional, reason for doing so was to enable her attendance at a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford that day [the Stafford case]; and/or
ii. Having been so excused so as to be able to make arrangements for her mother’s burial, appeared in court in the Stafford case that day.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to act with integrity, in that while instructed to appear in a criminal trial at Nottingham Crown Court from 6 April 2022 for a period of approximately 11 to 12 weeks [the Nottingham case], and while also instructed in a criminal trial at Stafford Crown Court which commenced on 3 May 2022 [the Stafford case] Ms Mahmood created the misleading impression that the Judge in the Nottingham case had given her permission to attend the Stafford case by:
i. On or about 3 May 2022, telling her leader in the Stafford case that she had permission from the Judge in the Nottingham case to link in on a daily basis via CVP, which carried the false implication that the Judge in the Nottingham case had given such permission to facilitate Ms Mahmood’s attendance at the Stafford case; and/or
ii. On or about 3 May 2022 at Stafford Crown Court, telling leading counsel for the prosecution in the Stafford case that she had permission from the Judge in the Nottingham case to link in via CVP, which carried the false implication that the Judge in the Nottingham case had given such permission to facilitate Ms Mahmood’s attendance at the Stafford case.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or the profession, and/or acted in a manner which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her integrity, in that while instructed to appear in a criminal trial at Nottingham Crown Court from 6 April 2022 for a period of approximately 11 to 12 weeks [the Nottingham case], and while also instructed in a criminal trial at Stafford Crown Court which commenced on 3 May 2022 [the Stafford case] Ms Mahmood created the misleading impression that the Judge in the Nottingham case had given her permission to attend the Stafford case by:
i. On or about 3 May 2022, telling her leader in the Stafford case that she had permission from the Judge in the Nottingham case to link in on a daily basis via CVP, which carried the false implication that the Judge in the Nottingham case had given such permission to facilitate Ms Mahmood’s attendance at the Stafford case; and/or
ii. On or about 3 May 2022 at Stafford Crown Court, telling leading counsel for the prosecution in the Stafford case that she had permission from the Judge in the Nottingham case to link in via CVP, which carried the false implication that the Judge in the Nottingham case had given such permission to facilitate Ms Mahmood’s attendance at the Stafford case.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, while instructed to appear in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham from 6 April 2022 for a period of approximately 11 to 12 weeks [the Nottingham case], and while also instructed in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford which commenced on 3 May 2022 [the Stafford case], failed to observe her duty to the court in the administration of justice and/or knowingly or recklessly misled the Crown Court at Nottingham to the effect that she was or would be exclusively occupied with either the Nottingham case or attending her mother in hospital during court sitting hours on 4 and/or 5 May 2022 by:
i. On 4 and 5 May 2022, while appearing by CVP having obtained permission to do so because of her mother’s ill health, deliberately or recklessly failing to state that she was at the same time appearing in the Stafford case; and/or
ii. On 5 May 2022 deliberately or recklessly stating in court to the judge in the Nottingham case via CVP “I am actually at a court centre near to the hospital because there was no room that I can use at the hospital for a whole day, and to leave my laptop, so I have to go to the hospital, see my mum, then go to a court centre, and then go back at lunchtime”, thereby falsely stating that that the only reason Ms Mahmood was logging in from a court centre was because of a lack of facilities at the hospital, when the, or a, reason for her doing so was to facilitate her attendance at the Stafford case.
iii. On 5 May 2022 deliberately or recklessly stating in court to the judge in the Nottingham case via CVP “There has been a development but I would like to continue on CVP if I can but I might have to leave at some point” which in the circumstances was a false statement to the effect that the only reason Ms Mahmood may have to leave the hearing was to attend to her mother, when an additional reason was to appear in the Stafford case.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to observe her duty to the court in the administration of justice and/or knowingly or recklessly misled the Crown Court at Nottingham in that on 6 May 2022 she stated by email to the judge in proceedings in which she was appearing [the Nottingham case] “Sadly, my mother passed away shortly after 5.40 this morning. Please, could you excuse my attendance at court today? I have arrangements to make so that my mother can be buried today in accordance with Islamic practice” thereby falsely stating that the sole reason for her request was to make funeral arrangements for her mother when the, or a, reason for the request was to enable her to appear in a criminal trial before the Crown Court at Stafford.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, while instructed to appear in a criminal trial at Nottingham Crown Court from 6 April 2022 for a period of approximately 11 to 12 weeks [the Nottingham case], and while also instructed in a criminal trial at Stafford Crown Court which commenced on 3 May 2022 [the Stafford case], failed to act in the best interests of each client and/or failed to provide a competent standard of work and service to each client by absenting herself from each of the Stafford and Nottingham cases to appear in the other intermittently over the course of 4-5 May 2022.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, failed to act with integrity, in that while acting in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham that started on or about 6 April 2022 [the Nottingham case] on 10 May 2022, Ms Mahmood, gave an incorrect account to the Judge in the Nottingham case, as to the extent to which she appeared in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford [the Stafford case] on 4 and/or 5 May 2022 in stating that her involvement in the Stafford case during court hours on those days was limited to taking a note of the cross-examination of one witness on 5 May 2022, when she was in court in the Stafford case for most of both days.

Saleema Mahmood, a barrister, acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or the profession, and/or acted in a manner which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her integrity, in that while acting in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Nottingham that started on or about 6 April 2022 [the Nottingham case] on 10 May 2022, Ms Mahmood, gave an incorrect account to the Judge in the Nottingham case, as to the extent to which she appeared in a criminal trial at the Crown Court at Stafford [the Stafford case] on 4 and/or 5 May 2022 in stating that her involvement in the Stafford case during court hours on those days was limited to taking a note of the cross-examination of one witness on 5 May 2022, when she was in court in the Stafford case for most of both days.