![David Lester (senior partner at Blythe Liggins), Darryl Barnes, Jagdeep Sandher (head of dispute resolution at Blythe Liggins)[4]](https://d1d8vslyhr7rdg.cloudfront.net/Pictures/274x183/4/2/8/116428_davidlesterseniorpartneratblytheligginsdarrylbarnesjagdeepsandherheadofdisputeresolutionatblytheliggins4_981603_crop.jpg)
A barrister's appeal against sanctions imposed on him by the Bar Standards Board has been dismissed by the High Court.
Timothy Raggatt KC was suspended for 12 months, with a further suspension of three months to run concurrently, by the Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service in relation to two charges found proven against him.
One charge related to failure to disclose evidence in a criminal trial and the other to an ‘observation’ made by Raggatt to a judge during a trial in the absence of the jury.
In his appeal hearing earlier this year Raggatt’s defence highlighted interruptions by the tribunal chair during the hearing. But Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Mrs Justice Farbey found: ‘The chair was entitled in the circumstances to seek to draw out his [Raggatt’s] evidence away from the statement and towards the specific questions on which his oral evidence was sought.’
In their 50-page judgment, the judges found the tribunal ‘was in the best position to assess the appellant’s culpability and the harm caused by his misconduct’ adding ‘it was in the best position to determine the appropriate and proportionate sanction’.
The judges agreed with the tribunal’s assessment of the seriousness of the misconduct, the harm caused and ‘the appellant’s lack of insight into his own actions’.
Dismissing the appeal, the judgment said: ‘The tribunal was entitled to conclude that these factors outweighed his highly exceptional character references, the passing of time and other undoubtedly strong mitigating factors. The sanction was neither excessive nor disproportionate. There are no grounds for this court to interfere.’
