Sarah Jayne Hall

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 11 April 2024

Published date: 1 May 2024

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Thorpe & Co Limited

Address(es): 17 Valley Bridge Parade, Scarborough, YO11 2JX

Firm ID: 495073

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to?

Sarah Jayne Hall whose last known address was in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

Summary of decision

The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Ms Hall can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

Ms Hall, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on her part that it is undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

The facts of the case

Ms Hall was employed as an office assistant at Thorpe & Co Limited (the firm). The firm is a recognised body whose registered office is at 17 Valley Bridge Parade, Scarborough, YO11 2JX.

On 14 July 2023, the firm discovered that £110 had been removed from its petty cash, without its prior knowledge or permission. On 18 July 2023, the money was replaced.

On the same day, 18 July 2023, Ms Hall admitted that she had borrowed the money from petty cash, without the firm's permission and for her personal benefit. She was dismissed from her employment at the firm on the same day and the firm reported her conduct to the SRA.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Ms Hall's conduct meant that it was undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval. The order pursuant to section 43 was made with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Ms Hall of the decision.

Ms Hall's conduct was serious because she abused her position to take money from her employer without the firm's prior knowledge or permission.

In mitigation it was noted that Ms Hall had never intended to permanently take the money, which she had replaced before she was confronted by the firm. Ms Hall had admitted her actions, and this appeared to be an isolated incident.

Ms Hall was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA's costs of £600.

What our Section 43 order means

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body

except in accordance with the SRA's prior written permission.