12 November 2014
Two public disciplinary tribunals have each ordered the
disbarment of two barristers for repeatedly refusing to pay almost
£12,000 in fines and costs between them.
The independent panel found that barrister Stephen Desmond
Hourigan had failed to comply in due time with a previous sentence
- imposed by a disciplinary tribunal on 30 September 2013 - which
ordered him to pay a fine of £1,000.
Mr Hourigan, who has been referred to four tribunals in as many
years, continues to owe almost £9,000 in outstanding fines and
costs. The panel, chaired by HHJ Stuart Sleeman, heard that he
declined to provide information promptly to the Bar Standards Board
(BSB) when required to do so.
A second, separate tribunal found that barrister Martin Vose also
failed to pay fines and costs totalling £1,394, despite being
ordered to do so by a disciplinary tribunal in June 2011. Like Mr
Hourigan, Mr Vose did not respond to requests from the BSB for
comments or information on a complaint.
The panel, also chaired by HHJ Sleeman, heard that in March 2010
an initial tribunal suspended Mr Vose until he had paid an earlier
fine of £1,112 - a sum still outstanding - bringing the total
amount he owes to nearly £3,000.
In both instances HHJ Sleeman ordered Mr Hourigan and Mr Vose to
be disbarred.
Director of the Bar Standards Board's Professional Conduct
Department, Sara Jagger, said: "Both Mr Hourigan and Mr Vose
repeatedly refused to comply with the orders of a number of
independent tribunals and ignored our attempts to try to engage
with each of them on these matters. They have made it very clear
that they have no regard for the regulatory process, which is there
to protect the public. We are content that both panels made
absolutely the right decision in these cases."
The hearings took place on 5 November 2014. Neither barrister
attended.
For more information, please click
here and
here.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About Stephen Desmond Hourigan and Martin
Vose
Mr Hourigan was Called to the Bar by Middle Temple in October
1998. Mr Vose was Called to the Bar by Inner Temple, July
1983.
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 - which is
responsible for bringing charges of professional misconduct against
barristers. These charges are then adjudicated on by BTAS' tribunal
panels.
About the Bar Standards Board
Our mission is to regulate the Bar so as to promote high standards
of practice and safeguard clients and the public interest. For more
information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t.
Contact: For all media enquiries call: 0207 611 1452 or
email [email protected].
