Immigration solicitor cleared by SDT after Daily Mail sting allegation dismissed

SDT throws out dishonesty charges against Muhammad Hayat after Daily Mail undercover sting

A solicitor who featured in a high-profile undercover Daily Mail sting targeting immigration lawyers has been cleared of all wrongdoing by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).

Muhammad Nazar Hayat, admitted to the roll in December 2013, was the owner and managing director of Lincoln Lawrence Solicitors, based in Hounslow, west London. In May 2023, Hayat was covertly filmed by three undercover journalists posing as the relatives of a supposed asylum seeker. The footage was later used in a Mail exposé which triggered a broader investigation into immigration law practices.

Just two months after the covert meeting, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) intervened and took control of Hayat’s firm. The SRA subsequently brought charges before the SDT, accusing Hayat of advising a potential client to fabricate details to support an asylum claim — a charge that, if proven, could have ended his legal career.

This week, the SDT heard that Hayat was also accused of dishonesty and a lack of integrity, but his legal representative, Mansoor Fazli, strongly refuted the claims.

Fazli told the tribunal it was entirely reasonable for a solicitor to be guided by the facts presented by a client — even a prospective one — before advising on the relevant legal framework. “It is perfectly reasonable for a solicitor to ask questions in terms of the facts and to be led on the facts,” Fazli said. “The solicitor then takes the lead on the law, because he is the expert and that, in my submission, is what happened in this case.”

He further argued that Hayat had not been directly challenged on the legal advice he gave, and that the evidence provided by the three interpreters involved in the meeting was unreliable. “The facts make it clear the behaviour of the respondent was not dishonest and was not improper in the way that has been suggested,” he added. “The evidence of the three translators has been undermined, which makes this prosecution unsafe.”

Fazli also warned of the severity of the dishonesty allegation, describing it as “the equivalent of a death penalty” in legal disciplinary proceedings. He insisted that Hayat had been given sufficient information during the meeting to propose appropriate legal advice, and that the case lacked any proper basis to proceed further.

The SDT ultimately accepted this argument, throwing out the allegations and clearing Hayat of all charges.

The verdict marks the second time a solicitor implicated in the Mail’s undercover investigation has been exonerated. The original exposé caused a storm of controversy, sparking debate about the ethics of tabloid stings and the regulation of immigration law practitioners. However, legal experts have since raised concerns about the quality of evidence obtained through covert journalism and the potential for misrepresentation.

The SRA, which oversees professional standards in the legal sector, has come under pressure to balance rigorous regulation with fair treatment of solicitors targeted in such operations.

With Hayat now cleared, questions remain about the use of undercover tactics in investigative journalism — and whether legal regulators are being drawn into tabloid campaigns rather than pursuing evidence-based enforcement.

Lincoln Lawrence Solicitors remains closed following the 2023 intervention, and Hayat’s professional future remains uncertain despite the tribunal’s decision. However, for now, he walks away without a stain on his professional record.