The Solicitors Regulation Authority has apologised to the tribunal over its delay in sending a letter to a solicitor in prison.
Linda Lu, admitted in 2022, was jailed for five and a half years in 2024 after she, alongside her mother Susan Chen, was found guilty of stalking involving serious alarm or distress following a six-week trial.
A case management hearing in the regulatory case against Lu was adjourned in January to allow her to respond to allegations brought against her by the SRA.
However a three-person panel heard last week that Lu had not yet filed the expected documentation and, Lorraine Trench, for the SRA, said: ‘One can assume…the reason for the respondent’s lack of engagement is more likely she does not wish to engage with proceedings.’
The tribunal heard that the governor of the prison had ‘unfortunately…not responded to correspondence’ from the SRA.
Trench said: ‘In any event, the respondent is aware that the SRA is taking regulatory action against her because she responded to the notice recommending her referral to the tribunal. However, the tribunal may wish to give the respondent further opportunity to file an answer [a reply to the allegations against her].’
Chair Carolyn Evans noted that the regulator had not attempted to make further contact with Lu until this month, despite the adjournment in January. She said: ‘The purpose of adjourning the CMH was in order to allow further opportunity to make contact, or at least attempt to make contact, with the respondent in person. It seems to me regrettable that [an] attempt was not made until the 13 March.
‘It does seem appropriate to allow a direction through the timetabling to give her an opportunity to respond.’
Trench said: ‘The SRA did in fact send correspondence to her, not specifically about the hearing but as part of its normal course of correspondence regarding publication on the SRA website.’
The chair said: ‘The purpose of adjourning was to secure her engagement and the letter, at least the one I have seen, did not go until six days ago. In those circumstances the purpose of adjourning really has been thwarted by the very recent letter that has gone to the respondent.
‘It is regrettable that it took from the 16 January to the 13 March for that letter to go out.’
Trench said: ‘I can only apologise on behalf of the SRA for the delay. I would make the point the SRA did make enquiries with the Find a Prisoner Service [and] did that the week after the CMH [in January].’
The chair replied: ‘And then did nothing with that information.’
Directions were made to allow Lu ‘further opportunity’ to file an answer within two weeks.
