Rajpal Panesar suspended 9 months, ordered to pay £14k costs by SDT

Managing partner Rajpal Panesar suspended for dishonesty after instructing a junior to mislead a client.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has suspended Rajpal Panesar for nine months and ordered him to pay £14,000 in costs after finding him guilty of dishonesty and a lack of integrity.

Mr Panesar, a managing partner in the property department of his firm, faced allegations stemming from his supervision of a newly qualified solicitor, referred to as Person A. Just three weeks into their career, Person A was asked by Mr Panesar to send a draft email to a client which the tribunal later ruled was misleading.

According to the evidence, Person A refused to send the message. The email was never issued, but the SDT found that Mr Panesar had nevertheless instructed his junior colleague to mislead Client A.

Mr Panesar admitted to part of the allegation, accepting that he had asked Person A to prepare the draft. However, he disputed that it was a direct instruction. He argued that the draft was “open for discussion” and not intended to be sent without review.

The tribunal rejected this explanation, concluding that his behaviour amounted to dishonesty and a breach of the SRA Principles 2019 and the Code of Conduct for Solicitors 2019.

In its ruling, the panel noted the seriousness of the misconduct, particularly given Mr Panesar’s position of seniority and his responsibility as a supervisor. By instructing a newly qualified solicitor to mislead a client, he had placed that individual in a position of professional jeopardy.

However, the SDT also recognised what it described as “exceptional circumstances” in mitigation. These were not disclosed in detail within the published summary, but were deemed significant enough to prevent Mr Panesar from being struck off.

Instead, the tribunal opted for a fixed-term suspension of nine months. In addition, Mr Panesar was ordered to pay £14,000 towards the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s legal costs.

The ruling sends a clear message about the importance of integrity in the legal profession. While the misleading email was never ultimately sent, the tribunal emphasised that the attempt to use a junior colleague in such a way amounted to professional misconduct at the highest level.

The case underlines the principle that dishonesty, even in draft or preparatory stages, can amount to a disciplinary offence. It also highlights the protective role of tribunals in upholding the integrity of newly qualified solicitors who may otherwise feel pressured into following improper instructions.

The SDT’s sanction reflects the balance between the gravity of the breach and the exceptional circumstances advanced by Mr Panesar. Had those circumstances not been accepted, the tribunal indicated that a more severe sanction—potentially strike-off—could have been considered.

For the profession, the judgment reinforces the obligation on senior partners and supervisors to lead by example. The tribunal’s ruling makes clear that “dishonesty” encompasses not just completed acts, but also attempted instructions to mislead clients.

Mr Panesar will now serve his nine-month suspension before being eligible to return to practice, subject to regulatory conditions.