BAHL INVITED TO MEDIATION

SGM: adjourned until May as solicitors call for a negotiated end to Kamlesh Bahl affair

The special general meeting held last week to discuss the LawSociety's handling of the Kamlesh Bahl case was adjourned until May to allow time for a final attempt atmediation.A motion brought by former Society President Mark Sheldon to adjourn until 16 May won strong support from the 250 solicitors who attended the meeting.

Echoing the call of several previous speakers, Mr Sheldon said: 'I side with those who believe that some final push for mediation should be made.'A Society spokeswoman said chief executive Janet Paraskeva has written to Ms Bahl, a former Society vice-president, inviting her to consider again the possibility of mediation.

'So far the Law Society has taken a number of steps to seek to achieve a negotiated resolution of the dispute through mediation but has had no response from Ms Bahl's solicitors,' she said.Ms Bahl, who was at the meeting, would not comment on the possibility of mediation, but said she was heartened by the number of solicitors who attended.

London-based Imran Khan, who does not act for Ms Bahl but who led the move to requisition the meeting, said he was disappointed by the delay.

He said the resolutions would still be on the table when the meeting reconvened.

The resolutions include asking the council to dismiss officials and staff whose actions led to the employment tribunal finding for Ms Bahl, to hold an independent inquiry, and to end financial support for the appeals of former Society President Robert Sayer and former secretary-general Jane Betts, pending the inquiry's outcome.Putting forward the council's position, Deputy Vice-President Peter Williamson pledged that it would consider holding an inquiry once legal proceedings have finished.The case has so far cost about 2 million; 665,000 arising from the initial Griffiths inquiry, and the rest from the ensuing litigation.

Mr Williamson said: 'The council regrets the impact this has had on the profession.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, it has damaged solicitors' reputation and cost a lot of money.'However, in a robust defence of the Society, he said: 'The Law Society is confident, on legal advice, that its position will be vindicated on appeal.'Ms Paraskeva later confirmed that copies of the employment tribunal judgment were available for solicitors on request as was full information relating to the costs.A day earlier, the council approved a new diversity and equality framework for the Society.Neil Rose