Barrister David Kingsley Wedge was ordered to be disbarred by an independent disciplinary tribunal which concluded at an online hearing on 25 January 2021 following charges of professional misconduct brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
The tribunal's decision comes after Mr Wedge was struck from the roll of solicitors by the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) in 2019 for a series of failings between 2008 and 2016 arising from his conduct whilst practising as a solicitor. These failings included not providing clients with a proper standard of service and dishonestly supplying them with misleading information. The failings also included Mr Wedge having been found to have accepted a personal loan from a client in circumstances in which he had not advised seeking independent legal advice in relation to the loan and/or in which there existed a conflict of interest.
This week’s tribunal found that Mr Wedge had failed to act with honesty and integrity, had failed to provide a competent standard of work and service to his clients, and that his actions were likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public placed in him or in the Bar. The tribunal also found that Mr Wedge did not cooperate fully with his regulators and that he had failed to inform the BSB of the 2019 SDT finding.
Commenting on the order, a BSB spokesperson said: “The tribunal’s decision to disbar Mr Wedge reflects the fact that he failed to show integrity when practising as a solicitor, and demonstrates that barristers are expected to uphold the highest standards of conduct. It also serves as a reminder that any barrister subject to disciplinary findings within another profession must report them to the BSB.”
The tribunal’s decision is open to appeal.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About David Kingsley Wedge
David Kingsley Wedge was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Middle Temple in July 2002.
About disciplinary tribunals
The appointment, operation, and decisions (including sentencing) of disciplinary tribunal panels are performed by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS). BTAS is run independently of the Bar Standards Board, the barristers' regulator. The BSB is responsible for bringing charges of professional misconduct against barristers, which BTAS tribunal panels then adjudicate. The sanctions imposed are a matter for the tribunal having regard to BTAS Sanctions Guidance.
About the Bar Standards Board
Our mission is to regulate barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest. For more information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t
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