Christopher
Griffith
Employee
7018012
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 17 May 2023
Published date: 22 May 2023
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: DWF LAW LLP
Address(es): 1 Scott Place, 2 Hardman Street, MANCHESTER, M3 3AA, England
Firm ID: 653260
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Summary of decision
The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Mr Griffith can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:
- In January 2007, Mr Griffith (then known as Davies) was convicted in the Crown Court at Caernarfon for the rape of a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of nine years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.
- On 30 August 2018, Mr Griffith was convicted in the Crown Court at Mold on seven counts of failure to comply with notification requirements relating to his placement on the Sex Offenders Register. He was sentenced to a further term of imprisonment of eight months to be served concurrently and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.
By virtue of the above, it is undesirable for Mr Griffith to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior written consent.
The facts
- In January 2007, Mr Griffith (then known as Davies) was convicted in the Crown Court at Caernarfon for the rape of a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of nine years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.
- On 30 August 2018, Mr Griffith was convicted in the Crown Court at Mold on seven counts of failure to comply with notification requirements relating to his placement on the Sex Offenders Register. He was sentenced to a further term of imprisonment of eight months to be served concurrently and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.
- Between 23 March 2020 and 24 February 2021, Mr Griffith was employed as a paralegal by DWF Law LLP in Manchester that was unaware of either conviction.
Our decision on outcome
An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Mr Griffith's 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 Griffith's conduct was serious. He has been convicted of two serious indictable offences, in 2007 and 2018.
Mr Griffith was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA's costs of £650.
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 Griffith of this decision:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
- 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