The regulator has abandoned its appeal over the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s dismissal of a ‘SLAPP’ case against a partner at a renowned defamation firm.
In a consent order approved by the Administrative Court, the appeal brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority against the dismissal of its case against Claire Frances Gill was dismissed. As part of the order, the SRA also agreed to pay the costs of the appeal in the agreed sum of £85,794 within 28 days of the order being sealed.
In December last year, the SDT summarily dismissed the allegation that Gill, admitted in 1996, had sent or arranged to have sent, the ‘improper threat’ in April 2017. At the time, Carter-Ruck was acting for now-disappeared ‘crypto queen’ Dr Ruja Ignatova, whose OneCoin cryptocurrency scheme was later discovered to be be a Ponzi-style fraud.
Gill, who denied the allegation, brought an application for summary dismissal. The SDT’s three-person panel granted the application following a two-day hearing.
At the time of the hearing in December, counsel for Gill indicated that the firm would be seeking an application for costs. The SDT had previously been told the sum sought totalled around £1 million.
In February, the SDT ordered the SRA to pay Gill’s costs of the proceedings before the SDT from 2 May 2025 (save for the costs of three applications), to be subject to detailed assessment unless otherwise agreed. It is understood that assessment is ongoing.
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The consent order was approved by the court without a hearing. It means the SDT’s decision dismissing the prosecution against Gill stands and proceedings are now at an end.
The SRA confirmed to the Gazette it had withdrawn the appeal and that is the end of the matter.
Carter-Ruck and Gill said they did not plan to comment further on the case.
