A barrister has been disbarred for falsely claiming to have been awarded a law degree and forging his certificates.

Shavon Bethel claimed he had been awarded an LLB law degree from the University of London when applying for admission as a student to Inner Temple in 2006. But a bar disciplinary tribunal found that he had never been awarded a degree from the university.

He repeated his lie in April 2013 when he was called to the bar. To back up his claim, the barrister, who is now based in the Bahamas, produced fake degree certificates dated March and July 2005, the tribunal said. 

The tribunal ruled that he had engaged in conduct which was ‘dishonest or otherwise discreditable to a barrister’.

Sara Jagger, director of professional conduct for the Bar Standards Board, said: ‘The public have a right to expect barristers to be honest and act with integrity. By falsely claiming that he obtained a degree from the University of London, Mr Bethel acted in a deceitful and dishonest way.

‘The fact that he forged certification to embellish his deception, was a further indication that Mr Bethel is not a suitable person to be a member of the Bar of England and Wales.’