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Bankruptcy *suspends* a practising certificate, as can (if the SRA direct) a fraud conviction. Probably the reason why the description was "non-practising solicitor". In such a case, it seems unclear why there is a need for the SDT to get involved and incur any costs at all, let alone £1,700. He was obviously going to get struck off and he had been adjudicated bankrupt by one court and convicted of fraud by another. Why waste £1,700 reading out the details of these matters to an empty room. Just strike off automatically.

Furthermore there are various offences under the Insolvency Act for this sort of thing.

The courts used to be able to suspend a bankrupt's discharge in a situation like this, conditional upon him / her making repayment of some or all of the debts. But that goes against the current thinking.

Indeed had said solicitor been a company director, so long as he greased the palm of a friendly insolvency practitioner with sufficient gold, he'd have been able legitimately to run up new debts faster than you can say "pre-pack administration with no return to creditors". And nobody would have batted an eyelid.

Had said solicitor been a director in a bank's city trading subsidiary, and defrauded not £25k but £25,000,000, he'd have got a knighthood!