Earlier this week the SRA said it wasn’t looking at Reynolds after Guido’s revelations surrounding his ‘Solicitor’ career:
“Our regulatory role is to protect the interests of users of legal services. We are aware of this issue, however having considered all factors involved, there is no need for us to take any action.”
This was understood to be because they wrote to him in January over the discrepancy in his LinkedIn – as Guido reported – and, once he fixed it, decided that was that. That’s changed now…
The SRA now says its decision not to investigate was “based on all the evidence we had at the time.” Due to the fact they have “now become aware of further information” they say they will “look at this.” Labour’s shoddy defence was based on blaming staffers for the LinkedIn discrepancy while that was only one of many instances in which Reynolds had referred or allowed himself to be referred to as a solicitor. He did say it himself in the Commons. Lawyers to whom Guido has spoken this week expressed incredulity at the usually heavy-handed SRA’s quick dismissal of the Reynolds case. As recess ends this isn’t over yet…
UPDATE: Jenrick, who wrote to the SRA after it said it wasn’t doing anything, calls for Reynolds to be sacked: “Over a decade Reynolds repeatedly lied that he was a solicitor, including in the House of Commons. That is very clearly a criminal offence. If the SRA fail to act robustly that would risk the impression of double standards and a weakening of the legal framework.
As a former Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer doesn’t need to wait – he should be able to judge from the evidence before him that Reynolds doesn’t have a leg to stand on and sack him.”
That letter Jenrick sent to the SRA is below:
“For over a decade Jonathan Reynolds claimed to be a solicitor in Parliament, on his website, online CV, social media as well as in conversations with high-profile businesspeople. This is a prima facie breach of the Legal Services Act 1974 and Solicitors Act 2007 which makes it a criminal offence to pretend to be a solicitor.
Your own guidance states that falsely describing yourself as a solicitor on your social media profile is a criminal offence. I therefore urge you to investigate this matter with a view to bring forward a prosecution.
As a former solicitor myself, and Shadow Lord Chancellor, I believe it is critical to maintaining public confidence in the profession that clear breaches of the law like this, are dealt with swiftly and robustly. This is especially the case when figures in positions of significant prominence and trust, such as Mr Reynolds, appear to break it. Indeed a failure to act would risk the impression of double standards and a weakening of the legal framework.”
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”