Daniel Jackson

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 23 August 2023

Published date: 4 September 2023

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Charles Strachan Solicitors Limited

Address(es): Cranmore Place, Cranmore Drive, Solihull, B90 4RZ

Firm ID: 636141

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to?

Mr Jackson of Northfield, Birmingham.

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 Mr Jackson can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

Mr Jackson altered his annual leave record to falsely show that he had an additional eight days of holiday that had not been authorised by the firm. His conduct was dishonest.

The facts

Between 27 July 2020 and 9 August 2021 Mr Jackson was employed at the Redditch office of by Charles Strachan Solicitors as a receptionist / police station co-ordinator.

It was found that Mr Jackson altered an employee holiday request form to show that he was authorised annual leave to enable him to self-isolate on his return from a holiday to Magaluf in July 2021. He falsified the form as proof of authority to self-isolate from work was required in order to book his holiday. Mr Jackson admitted altering the document. The act of falsifying the employee leave document misled the holiday company.

Mr Jackson also admitted to falsifying a ‘fit to fly’ certificate that was in his possession on 20 July 2021 but showed that he had tested negative for Covid-19 on 23 July 2021.

The conduct put Mr Jackson’s colleagues at risk at a time when there was a global pandemic.

Our decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as his conduct meant that it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA’s prior approval.

This was because Mr Jackson’s conduct was serious and his actions were dishonest.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £600.

What our section 43 order means

To make an order pursuant to section 43 that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Jackson of this decision:

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