SRA: Owen Goodhand Barred by Section 43 Order After Dishonesty

• Solicitor apprentice Owen Goodhand was arrested on March 28, 2025, and subsequently released on bail.
• Goodhand falsely claimed illness for his absence and later denied his arrest when directly questioned by his supervisor.
• He eventually disclosed his arrest and admitted dishonesty to the firm's compliance officer on May 8, 2025, leading to his dismissal in June 2025.
• The SRA issued a Section 43 order against Goodhand due to his serious and dishonest conduct, barring him from legal practice without their permission.
• Kent Police closed their criminal investigation into Goodhand with no further action taken, but the SRA's professional sanction remains.

The SRA's swift and decisive action, culminating in the section 43 order, emphasizes that dishonesty, particularly in matters related to personal conduct and legal compliance, will not be tolerated.

Owen Goodhand, a solicitor apprentice at Martin Tolhurst Partnership, faced disciplinary action from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) following a series of events involving his arrest and subsequent misrepresentations to his employer. Goodhand was employed by the Kent-based firm from September 2023 until his eventual dismissal in June 2025. The sequence of events began on March 28, 2025, when he was arrested as part of a police investigation, after which he was released on bail.

Following his arrest, Goodhand failed to disclose the incident to his firm. Instead, on April 1, 2025, he sent an email to both the firm's HR manager and his supervisor, falsely attributing his absence on the day of his arrest to illness. The situation escalated later that same month when, during a meeting with his supervisor, Goodhand was directly questioned about any personal conduct issues that might violate the SRA Code of Conduct, specifically mentioning arrests, charges, or convictions in criminal matters. Despite having been arrested just weeks prior, Goodhand explicitly denied any such issues.

The truth eventually emerged on May 8, 2025, when Goodhand met with the firm's compliance officer. During this meeting, he finally disclosed his arrest and admitted to having been dishonest when previously questioned by his supervisor. This admission led to his dismissal from Martin Tolhurst Partnership the following month. It is important to note that Kent Police subsequently closed their criminal investigation into Goodhand, taking no further action in the matter.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) subsequently intervened, issuing an Owen Goodhand SRA section 43 order against the former solicitor apprentice. This significant regulatory action means that Goodhand is now barred from working in any law firm without first obtaining explicit permission from the SRA. The SRA's decision notice highlighted the "serious and dishonest nature" of Goodhand's conduct as the primary reason for this prohibition.

The SRA concluded that his actions rendered it "undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice" without the regulator's prior approval. This type of legal profession misconduct barring order is typically reserved for cases where an individual's integrity is severely compromised, indicating a fundamental unsuitability for unsupervised work within the legal sector. The SRA's stringent stance underscores the paramount importance of honesty and integrity expected from all individuals associated with regulated legal services, including those in training roles.

In addition to the barring order, the SRA also mandated that Goodhand contribute to the costs incurred during their investigation. He was ordered to pay £600 towards the regulator's expenses. This financial penalty, alongside the professional restriction, serves as a clear consequence for his failure to adhere to the ethical standards required of a solicitor apprentice, particularly regarding the SRA Code of Conduct disclosure arrest requirements.

This case involving Owen Goodhand and the Martin Tolhurst Partnership apprentice dismissal serves as a critical reminder for the entire legal profession regarding the stringent ethical obligations placed upon all staff, from partners to solicitor apprentices. The SRA's swift and decisive action, culminating in the section 43 order, emphasizes that dishonesty, particularly in matters related to personal conduct and legal compliance, will not be tolerated. Hiding arrest from law firm SRA is a direct breach of trust and regulatory expectations.

The SRA Code of Conduct explicitly requires individuals to report personal conduct issues, including arrests, to their employers and, in some cases, directly to the SRA. Goodhand's repeated failure to disclose his arrest and his active deception when questioned directly by his supervisor and HR manager represent a severe breach of these fundamental principles. This incident highlights the necessity for law firms to not only have robust internal policies but also to ensure that all employees, especially those in training, fully understand their disclosure obligations and the severe repercussions of non-compliance.

The SRA's determination that Goodhand's conduct made him "undesirable" for legal practice without their permission sends a strong message about the foundational role of integrity in the legal profession. It reinforces the idea that even if the underlying criminal investigation results in no further action, the act of dishonesty itself in dealing with one's employer and the regulator can lead to significant professional consequences, impacting an individual's career trajectory within the legal field.

Compliance officers and law firm partners should review their internal policies and training for all staff, including apprentices, regarding the SRA Code of Conduct, particularly the duty to disclose personal conduct issues like arrests. This case underscores the SRA's strict stance on dishonesty and its willingness to impose Section 43 orders, making it crucial for firms to ensure robust reporting mechanisms and clear expectations to mitigate regulatory risk.

Source: Original reporting via Legal Cheek