A solicitor struck off for dishonesty four years ago has been refused restoration to the Roll for the second time in 13 months, and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.
Who is the solicitor and why was he struck off?
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal published its decision in the case of Raj Rajan Mariaddan on 22 September. He was struck off on 21 February 2022 after allegations of dishonesty were found proved, including causing or allowing misleading information to be given to a law firm acting in Legal Aid Agency proceedings, and to an insurance broker handling his firm’s professional indemnity renewal. He had also continued to practise, holding client money, without valid insurance.
Why did the tribunal say the application was premature?
Tribunal guidance says an application made within six years of a strike-off is likely to be premature, save in the most exceptional circumstances. Mr Mariaddan’s application was heard in August 2026, about four and a half years after the order. He argued the period should run from January 2021, when the SRA intervened in his firm and his practice effectively ended. The tribunal held that the guidance points to the date of the strike-off order, noting that he had been granted a conditional practising certificate in June 2021.
What evidence of rehabilitation did the tribunal reject?
The tribunal found the evidence of rehabilitation thin. The only documentary support for an ethics course he said he had completed was “a record of payment to a course provider and a very small payment at that”, with no attendance records or learning logs. Much of the legal work he relied on came from his own litigation or from helping people he knew personally. He produced no evidence from any solicitor or firm of a “willingness to employ, supervise or mentor” him, relying instead on a 2018 memorandum of understanding with a firm he had not spoken to for a considerable period.
What did the tribunal say about candour and insight?
The tribunal also raised candour. A testimonial was presented as coming from a person he had helped, and it emerged during the proceedings that she is his former wife and carer. The tribunal noted his reference to an “unblemished career” despite earlier disciplinary findings, and 2017 civil proceedings in which the court found he had lied and given false evidence. His evidence, it said, tended to minimise his own responsibility.
Did the medical evidence make a difference?
The tribunal accepted that his health difficulties were genuine and significant, but found the medical evidence did not materially assist his case for restoration.
Can a solicitor struck off for dishonesty be restored?
Applying the public confidence test quoted in Thobani v Solicitors Regulation Authority [2011] EWHC 3783 (Admin), the tribunal was not satisfied that a reasonably informed member of the public would conclude that the profession should be proud to readmit him. It repeated that strike-off is not, in law, a life sentence, but said restoration after findings of dishonesty ordinarily requires exceptional circumstances.
What costs were ordered?
The costs order was reduced from the £8,760 the SRA sought because of his limited means, although the tribunal found his statement of means incomplete and unreliable in parts. An earlier hearing had been adjourned after he failed to advertise the application. His first restoration application was refused in August 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is restoration to the Roll?
An application under section 47(2)(f) of the Solicitors Act 1974 and rule 17 of the Solicitors (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules 2019, asking the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to put a struck-off solicitor back on the Roll. The burden is on the applicant.
How long after a strike-off can a solicitor apply?
Tribunal guidance says an application within six years of the strike-off order is likely to be premature unless the circumstances are most exceptional. The period runs from the strike-off order, not from an intervention into the solicitor’s firm.
What evidence does the tribunal expect on a restoration application?
Documented study with attendance or completion records, sustained legal work at arm’s length from the applicant’s own affairs, evidence from a firm willing to employ or supervise the applicant, and full candour about who is giving supporting evidence and why.
Can a solicitor struck off for dishonesty ever be restored?
In principle yes. The tribunal said there is no hard-and-fast rule and that strike-off is not a life sentence in law, but restoration after findings of dishonesty ordinarily requires exceptional circumstances.
Does a failed restoration application cost money?
Yes. The tribunal ordered Mr Mariaddan to pay £5,000, reduced from the £8,760 the SRA sought because of his limited means.