Barrister Francis Walton Hermit Evans QC was ordered to be suspended from practice for two months by an independent disciplinary tribunal which concluded on 22 April 2021 following charges of professional misconduct brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
The tribunal found that Mr Evans had failed to be open and cooperative with his regulator during the BSB’s investigation following a Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) decision in 2016 to dismiss him as a Recorder. The tribunal found that Mr Evans had repeatedly failed to respond to the BSB’s requests for information about the incident between September 2016 and June 2020 and imposed a suspension for the failure to respond properly.
The JCIO decision in 2016 followed Mr Evans admitting to consuming alcohol on court premises and, as a result, causing difficulties for court staff. This week’s Bar disciplinary tribunal reprimanded Mr Evans for this incident by finding that - in acting in this way whilst performing a role as a Recorder - he had diminished the trust and confidence which the public places in him or the barrister profession.
Commenting on the order to suspend, a BSB spokesperson said: “All members of the Bar have a duty to cooperate openly with their regulators and they are expected to do this in a timely way. The tribunal’s decision to suspend Mr Evans for two months reflects the serious nature of his failure to meet these important responsibilities.”
The tribunal’s decision is open to appeal.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About Francis Evans QC
Francis Walton Hermit Evans QC was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Middle Temple in July 1977.
About disciplinary tribunals
The appointment, operation, and decisions (including sentencing) of disciplinary tribunal panels are performed by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS). BTAS is run independently of the Bar Standards Board, the barristers' regulator. The BSB is responsible for bringing charges of professional misconduct against barristers, which BTAS tribunal panels then adjudicate. The sanctions imposed are a matter for the tribunal having regard to BTAS Sanctions Guidance which is endorsed by the Council of the Inns of Court.
About the Bar Standards Board
Our mission is to regulate barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest. For more information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t
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