A prominent lawyer who accused her professional body of discrimination has been jailed in the UK after refusing to hand over clients’ files while under investigation for dishonesty.
Soophia Khan, a civil rights lawyer who specialised in bringing cases involving the police and military, will serve up to three months in prison for contempt of court.
A judge found that she had ignored repeated requests for the documents after she was suspended by the profession’s regulator.
The inquiry into alleged dishonesty by Ms Khan is continuing despite her imprisonment, said the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
The investigation followed complaints by former clients that date back to at least 2017, court documents show. The SRA, which regulates more than 150,000 solicitors in the UK, declined to reveal the nature of the allegations.
Ms Khan was jailed on Wednesday after a High Court judge said the refusal to hand over documents amounted to a “serious” contempt of court.
Authorities planned to pass her current cases to other legal firms after her licence to work as a solicitor was suspended.
“Her failure to comply with the orders involved not only an attack on the administration of justice … but also defiance of her regulator,” said Mr Justice Leech.
He said he had considered her fragile mental health owing to the legal action against her but said her refusal was deliberate and had continued for months.
“In my judgment Ms Khan’s conduct … merits an immediate custodial sentence of a significant length,” he said.
She was jailed for six weeks and told she would face six more weeks behind bars if she continued to refuse to hand over the client files to the SRA.
The SRA is an independent arm of the Law Society, the professional body for solicitors in England and Wales.
Ms Khan has had previous run-ins with the society and was sacked from a prominent position as head of one of its committees in 2019 for bullying and harassment.
She was accused of discrimination against a senior official for calling her a “white woman”, according to reports.
Ms Khan told The Times that she had complained about how one of its divisions was run that dealt with ethnic minority lawyers and became involved in a dispute with the official.
She claimed that one of the reasons for her sacking was an email referring to the row in which she wrote: “I must be the one who is lying, even though I am a solicitor, as opposed to … a white woman, in a position of responsibility who must be believed without any shadow of a doubt.”
Ms Khan was a regular media commentator on discrimination and police misconduct. Her cases included representing a blind man who was Tasered by police who mistook his white stick for a samurai sword.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETeyon%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENacon%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20PC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
