Chaida Aboobakar was barred from the legal profession after faking a court email to hide a case killing error
A personal injury paralegal has been banned from working in law after fabricating an email to cover up a costly error that led to a client’s case being struck out.
Chaida Aboobakar, who was employed by Cardiff-based New Law Solicitors, submitted a false email to a court after mistakenly entering the wrong case number on a payment request. Her error resulted in the required court fee not being recognised—and the client’s claim was dismissed.
Rather than admitting the mistake, Aboobakar created a doctored email to suggest she had submitted the correct details. But the fraud unravelled when the court noticed discrepancies between her version and the original email on record.
Despite the mounting risk, Aboobakar continued to maintain that the court was at fault. She even submitted a formal witness statement to support an application for relief against the sanction, falsely claiming that the fee had been unpaid due to an administrative error by court staff.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe deception didn’t stop there. Aboobakar escalated the issue, briefing counsel and making the same claims to opposing solicitors over the course of four months, all while knowing the original error lay with her. The situation might have remained hidden had it not been for concerns raised by the judge presiding over the case.
Those concerns triggered an internal review by New Law Solicitors. The firm’s investigation revealed that only one email had ever been sent to the court—and it contained the incorrect case number. There was no trace of the supposedly corrected email Aboobakar claimed to have sent.
With the evidence laid bare, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) acted swiftly. The regulator found that Aboobakar had “deliberately tried to mislead the court, counsel and solicitors for the counter-party and had fabricated documentation placed before the court”. Her actions were deemed dishonest and lacking in integrity.
As a result, Aboobakar has been disqualified from holding any role within a law firm. She must also pay £600 in costs.
The SRA’s ruling underscores the seriousness with which the legal profession treats dishonesty, particularly when it risks undermining judicial processes. Fabricating evidence, even under pressure, is considered a fundamental breach of trust—and one that can end a legal career in an instant.
Though she was not a qualified solicitor, the SRA holds all legal professionals to the same high standard. For paralegals, who are often entrusted with essential administrative and client-facing duties, this case is a sharp reminder of the potential consequences of covering up mistakes instead of owning up to them.
There is no suggestion that New Law Solicitors was complicit in the misconduct. Once alerted, the firm acted decisively to investigate and rectify the situation. The case highlights the importance of internal safeguards and a culture that encourages transparency over fear-driven cover-ups.
Aboobakar’s actions not only led to professional ruin but likely left her former client without recourse. Her attempt to deflect blame through fabrication has now made her a cautionary tale in a profession where integrity is non-negotiable.
