Craig McKay
Employee
7285053

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 20 June 2025

Published date: 1 September 2025

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Clear Law LLP

Address(es): Units 115-119 42-50 Worsley Street, Manchester, M15 4LD

Firm ID: 403088

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to

Craig McKay of HMP The Verne. 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 McKay can work in an SRA regulated firm. In June 2024, having entered a guilty plea,

Mr McKay was convicted of multiple sexual offences. As a result, it was found that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

The facts of the case

Mr McKay is a non-authorised person. At the time of his arrest, he had been employed by Clear Law LLP (the firm) as an Assistant, and was therefore previously involved in a legal practice. Mr McKay was charged in March 2024 and in May 2024 pleaded guilty to 14 charges for sexual offences. Mr McKay informed the firm that he had been arrested and was likely to be remanded in custody and therefore needed to end his employment earlier than the end of his notice period. In light of his disclosure, his employment was terminated immediately and access to the firm's systems revoked. Even though the conviction was unconnected to legal practice, it was found that Mr McKay's serious misconduct meant it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in future without the SRA's prior approval.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr McKay of the decision. This was because of the serious nature of his criminal conviction, and the likely damage to public confidence in the delivery of legal services.

Mr McKay 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 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; A8 Page 9 of 9 Solicitors Regulation Authority Limited Sensitivity: Confidential
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.