A paralegal who had lied about getting a first-class law degree has been told she can no longer work in the legal profession. 

The Solicitors Regulation Authority this week confirmed in a regulatory notice it had banned Hani Hussein from working for any regulated firm without its permission. 

The SRA said Hussein worked briefly with west London firm Oracle Solicitors and Consultants Limited in the summer of 2017. After reviewing documents presented to it by Hussein, the firm found she had cited qualifications in her CV that she did not possess. 

The regulator said there was ‘clear evidence’ Hussein had posted her CV to an online job website stating that she had a first class LLB law degree from Oxford Brookes University and that she had also completed the Bar Professional Training course at the College of Law. Neither of these statements was true. 

It was stated that Hussein’s conduct was neither trivial nor justifiably inadvertent, and she had deliberately given the impression she had certain qualifications and benefited financially from this deceit.  The SRA notice added: ‘Ms Hussein was dishonest. Honesty and integrity are central to one’s role as the client’s trusted adviser. They are required of all those involved in the provision of legal services and Ms Hussein has demonstrated that she can act without these.  

‘A dishonesty finding is an exceptionally serious matter for a member of a profession whose reputation depends on trust.’ 

As well as the section 43 order preventing her future employment, Hussein received a rebuke and was fined £2,000. She will also have to pay the costs of the SRA’s investigation.