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Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal)
Gabriel Yaakov (formerly Gabriel Ezeh Gabman)
Application 12333-2022
Hearing 23 August 2022
Reasons 16 September 2022
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal refused the applicant’s application for restoration to the roll.
In November 2008 the applicant had been convicted in the Crown court of two counts of assisting unlawful immigration into EU member states and one count of possession of a false identity document with intent. He had been sentenced to a total of four years’ imprisonment.
He had appeared before the SDT on 8 October 2009, the allegation against him being that he had acted in breach of rules 1.01, 1.02 and 1.06 of the Solicitors Code of Conduct 2007 by virtue of his conviction and imprisonment. He was struck off the roll. On his application for restoration to the roll the applicant had continued to maintain his innocence in relation to the criminal convictions.
Since his release from prison, he had tried to obtain employment in the profession but without success.
He had retaken his LLB and Legal Practice Course and had taken an LLM since his strike-off. He had also worked pro bono as a housing adviser for a charity and as an examination invigilator at Kings College.
The key question was whether the confidence of the public could be maintained if the applicant were readmitted, in the light of the criminal convictions for which he had been struck off. Taking all factors into account, the SDT was not satisfied that the applicant was a fit and proper person to be restored to the roll and his application was therefore refused.
The applicant was ordered to pay costs of £3,521.
Nadia Zeb & Co Solicitors
On 7 September 2022 the Adjudication Panel resolved to intervene into the practice of Nadia Zeb Khan (deceased) at the firm, which was based at 30 Heaton Road, London SE15 3NL. The first date of attendance was 12 September 2022.
The grounds of intervention in relation to Nadia Zeb Khan were: it was necessary to intervene to protect the interests of clients or former clients of Khan (paragraph 1(1)(m) of Schedule 1 to the Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended)).
Emma Porter of Shakespeare Martineau, SHMA SRA Interventions PO Box, 18228, Birmingham B2 2HX, tel: 0300 247 2470, email: interventions@shma.co.uk) has been appointed to act as the Society’s agent.
