Barrister Mariam El-Sokby was ordered to be disbarred by an independent disciplinary tribunal which concluded on 11 August following charges of professional misconduct.
Three cases were heard and the tribunal found that Ms El-Sobky made dishonest and/or misleading statements to court and so acted without honesty and integrity and misled the court.
In one of the cases, the tribunal found that Ms El-Sobky when sending messages to a group chat, she harassed a former employee by making fun of confidential mental health issues. The tribunal also found that Ms El-Sobky failed to keep the affairs of her client confidential, sending appeal papers to the personal email address of an individual employed by her to carry out work on the case without first asking the individual to sign a confidentiality agreement.
In two cases the tribunal found that Ms El-Sobky, behaved in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or in the profession, failed to act with integrity and failed to observe her duty to the court in the administration of justice. Between March 2021 and December 2021 on at least three separate occasions, Ms El-Sobky made audio recordings of court hearings in family proceedings, without the consent of the parties or the judge, knowing that she was not lawfully entitled to do so and sent them to employees and requested they transcribe the recordings.
Spokesperson, The Bar Standards Board said:
“Ms El-Sobky failed to observe her duty to the court in the administration of justice. This behaviour falls far below the standards the public rightly expect of barristers. The decision to disbar reflects the seriousness of the misconduct in this case.”
The tribunal’s findings remain subject to appeal.
About Barrister Mariam El-Sobky
Mariam El-Sobky was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Lincoln’s Inn in March 2001.
