Friday, March 09, 2012

SCANDAL : Legal Defence Union intervene in SLCC investigation over £670K Legal Aid lawyer who made Pensioner HOMELESS, STARVED to pay legal bills

SLCC Lockhart montageLegal Defence Union intervened in Complaints investigation of dodgy claims lawyer. A series of CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS obtained by Diary of Injustice journalists investigating the closed world of regulation of Scottish solicitors have revealed the notorious LEGAL DEFENCE UNION (LDU) have intervened in an investigation being carried out by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC)) in response to complaints made by clients against Niels S Lockhart, the sole practising solicitor from Kilmarnock who was accused by the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) of making EXCESSIVE claims for taxpayer funded legal aid. A SLAB report revealed Lockhart walked away with a staggering SIX HUNDRED & SEVENTY TWO THOUSAND POUNDS of legal aid funds between April 2002 to March 2005 yet SLAB Chiefs said “..the the ranges of actions taken by Niels S. Lockhart towards achieving those payments are not those appropriate to a competent and reputable solicitor.”

In the shady deal done between the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Legal Defence Union over Legal Aid Chief’s demands Lockhart be investigated by the Law Society, it was revealed by Diary of Injustice and the Sunday Mail newspaper that solicitor James McCann of the Legal Defence Union had stepped in to prevent any further investigations or prosecutions of ‘their client’ Mr Lockhart. Diary of Injustice reported on the secret deal by the three legal organisations in an earlier article, here : One law for lawyers : Secret Report reveals Legal Aid Board, Law Society & Legal Defence Union ‘cosy relationship’ in Lockhart case

Diary of Injustice revealed in January of this year, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission had been called in to investigate Mr Lockhart in an earlier article, here : TO BE OR NOT TO BE ? Lawyer who raked in £600K of Legal Aid & left clients ruined, now being investigated by Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

However, news of the secret intervention by the Legal Defence Union on behalf of the shamed legal aid claims solicitor Niels Lockhart who is still working as a lawyer in Kilmarnock, has been roundly condemned by senior members of the legal profession and even insiders at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, who are aghast the LDU has again been flexing its muscle to protect solicitors many inside & outside the profession now feel are not fit to represent the legal interests of their clients.

This time around, Mr Lockhart is facing complaints made by clients such as pensioner Esther Francis, who was MADE HOMLESS by solicitor Niels Lockhart’s dodgy legal services. Lockhart’s demands for ever more money to pay for fanciful legal work also forced the poor pensioner TO STARVE HERSELF to pay legal fees after being threatened by the Kilmarnock solicitor over a missed £100 payment of legal bills which were originally being paid by Legal Aid. Diary of Injustice and the Sunday Mail newspaper covered the story here :

Lawyer 600K legal aid hassles pensioner over 100 billLegal Aid officials hid details of dodgy claims scandal as ‘Pay-Up threats’ from £600K legal aid rogue lawyer leaves pensioner, 70, starving, homeless SLAB’s secret deal with Law Society of Scotland & LDU kept info on legal aid accusations against solicitor from clients. A VULNERABLE PENSIONER was left HOMELESS & HAD TO STARVE HERSELF to pay legal fees after being threatened by Kilmarnock solicitor Niels S Lockhart over a missed £100 payment of legal bills which were originally being paid by Legal Aid. Esther Francis, 70, had gone to Niels Lockhart for help in a dispute with her housing association and was originally put on legal aid by the lawyer who has already claimed around SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS of legal aid money in previous years for other clients, however she was not told by the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) her solicitor, Mr Lockhart had ‘voluntarily’ withdrew himself from being able to provide legal aid, AFTER he was accused by SLAB of making excessive legal aid claims.

Diary of Injustice can today reveal the documents obtained in the latest scandal involving the Kilmarnock based solicitor, which cannot  be published at this stage for fear of prejudicing the SLCC’s investigation into the dodgy solicitor, CONFIRM the Legal Defence Union have made strong representations on behalf of Mr Lockhart to the SLCC, in writing and, apparently during meetings & other conversations with staff and senior figures at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

More worryingly for those clients who are making complaints against Mr Lockhart, the documents also reveal the same clients who found their lives & legal affairs ruined by Mr Lockhart’s actions are now BEING DENIED access to the LDU’s representations to the SLCC by members of staff at the SLCC. Clients who have asked for access to the Legal Defence Union’s submissions supporting their client Mr Lockhart, have been given a short sharp shrift by SLCC officials who have refused to part with the secret LDU begging letters.

In one letter seen by Diary of Injustice, an SLCC investigator claimed the Legal Defence Union had not seen any correspondence or complaints made by clients of Mr Lockhart, yet further enquiries carried out by Diary of Injustice have now established the LDU “is fully aware of the terms of the complaints made against their client”. It has since been established by Diary of Injustice the LDU also appears to have copies of submissions made in the complaints against Mr Lockhart, despite written assurances given by SLCC investigators to clients this was not the case.

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission was asked for comment on these developments, however no response has been received prior to publication.

BACKGROUND : LOCKHART, LEGAL AID & THE LEGAL DEFENCE UNION

Lawyer pocketed 600K Legal Aid in Two Years Sunday Mail March 27 2011The long story of Mr Lockhart’s legal aid claims began in the first half of the last decade, although it took the Scottish Legal Aid Board years to catch up with him, when on 5 June 2005 the Scottish Legal Aid Board sent a report to the Law Society of Scotland in terms of S32 of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 against the sole practitioner firm of Niels S Lockhart, 71 King Street, Kilmarnock. The secret report on Niels S Lockhart, obtained in 2011 by Diary of Injustice under Freedom of Information laws, can be downloaded here : SCOTTISH LEGAL AID BOARD S31 COMPLAINT REPORT TO THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND : NIELS S LOCKHART (pdf) The Scottish Legal Aid Board’s report outlined a number of issues that had been identified during the review of case files & accounts which raised concern about Mr Lockhart’s conduct and which fell to be considered as a breach of either Regulation 31 (3) (a) & (b), relating to his conduct when acting or selected to act for persons to whom legal aid or advice and assistance is made available, and his professional conduct generally. These issues illustrated the repetitious nature of Mr Lockhart’s failure to charge fees “actually, necessarily and reasonable incurred, due regard being bad to economy”

The heads of complaint submitted by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to the Law Society of Scotland were :

(1) Excessive attendances, (2) Lack of Progress, (3) Splitting/Repeating Subject Matters, (4) Inappropriate Requests for Increases in Authorised Expenditure, (5) Matters resubmitted under a different guise, (6) Standard Attendance Times, (7) Attendances for Matters Not Related to the Subject Matter of the Case, (8) Unreasonable Charges, (9) Double Charging for Correspondence, (10) Account entries not supported by Client Files, (11) Attempt to Circumvent Statutory Payment Procedure for Property Recovered or Preserved, (12) Continued Failure to act with Due Regard to Economy.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board report also revealed : “From April 2002—March 2005, Niels S Lockhart was paid £672,585 from the Legal Aid Fund. Of this, £596,734 (89%) was in relation to Advice and Assistance cases, with £570,528 (85%) solely in relation to Civil Advice and Assistance. In the Board’s view, the ranges of actions taken by Niels S. Lockhart towards achieving those payments are not those appropriate to a competent and reputable solicitor.”

“Based on the supporting evidence he arranges for, or permits, his clients to attend his office on numerous occasions for excessive, unnecessary and often irrelevant meetings. In the main, these do not appear to have advantages for their further welfare or advance their case, but merely act as a mechanism for the firm to exploit the Legal Aid Fund by charging for these unnecessary and unproductive meetings. The nature of subject matters is often repeated, resulting in numerous duplicate/multiple/consecutive grants submitted under various guises, thus avoiding the Board’s computerised checks on subject matter. This pattern of conduct is deliberate,recurring and persistent, serving—in the Board’s view—as a device to generate considerable additional income for the firm to the detriment of the Scottish Legal Aid Fund.”

Outline of Correspondence SLAB-LSS re NS LockhartSLAB’s report was heavy on accusations yet achieved little, as did their complaint to the Law Society. The Scottish Legal Aid Board presented its report & complaint to the Law Society of Scotland on the 5th June 2006 but had to wait until a stunning FOUR YEARS until August 2010 before the Law Society even got round to sending SLAB a copy of the Law Society investigator’s report, which recommended that 11 out of 12 of SLAB’s complaints were “made out” and also recommended that the Law Society exercise its powers to exclude Niels Lockhart from giving advice & assistance to or from acting for a person to whom legal aid is made available.

However, two months later in October 2010, Mr Lockhart’s legal representative James McCann of the Legal Defence Union approached SLAB with a prospective offer that Mr Lockhart would withdraw fully from providing legal aid if SLAB’s S31 complaint was withdrawn. A Minute of Agreement was drafter and agreed with Niels Lockhart & the Legal Defence Union outlining the voluntary and irrevocable withdrawal by Mr Lockhart and the firm from the provision of all firms of legal assistance (funded by legal aid). The Minute of Agreement also outlined the Board’s intention to make a press release detailing that following SLAB’s investigation into the firm and their subsequent complaint to the Law Society of Scotland, SLAB had accepted this permanent withdrawal by Mr Lockhart and the firm from providing all forms of legal assistance.

Letter to LSS, 11-10 redactedLegal Aid Board asked Law Society to withdraw complaint after secret deal was reached with Legal Defence Union. “In November 2010 SLAB advised the Law Society of Scotland that they had negotiated with Mr Lockhart his voluntary removal from the provision of legal assistance with effect from 1 November 2010 and acknowledged that the Society had separately received information from Mr Lockhart signalling his intention to withdraw from provision of all types of legal assistance. In the light of this, we sought to know from them whether they accepted SLAB’s withdrawal of the S31 complaint against Mr Lockhart.”

“In December 2010 the Law Society wrote to SLAB advising that they had accepted SLAB’s withdrawal of the complaint and that they were closing their file and taking no further action.”

Diary of Injustice continued to report on allegations surrounding Mr Lockhart and the Law Society of Scotland’s efforts to avoid a prosecution. All previous reports can be viewed HERE.

In July of 2011, Diary of Injustice followed up the investigation into the LDU-SLCC relationship with the following report, revealing senior figures from the LDU had SECRET no-notes-taken meetings with the SLCC’s Chair, Jane Irvine :

slccInvestigation reveals Scottish Legal Complaints Commission's links, secret 'off the record' dealings with lawyers lobby group Legal Defence Union REVEALED : Law regulator’s dealings with organisation linked to client suicides & blocked prosecutions of legal aid fraudsters. AN INVESTIGATION by Diary of Injustice into dealings between the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC), the ‘independent’ quango which regulates complaints against Scottish lawyers and the Legal Defence Union, an organisation which represents the best interests of lawyers, recently linked to blocked criminal prosecutions of legal aid fraudster lawyers & also the suicide of a married Oban family man in the SLCC’s 2009 report into the Master Policy, has revealed a series of cosy meetings between the regulator & pro-lawyer lobby group at expensive Edinburgh hotels which the heads of both organisations agreed to keep off the record and away from public gaze.

According to claims from SLCC insiders who were fed up with the non-achieving law complaints regulator, the scandal hit Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and the Legal Defence Union have now become so close, SLCC staff privately joke it is now “routine” for the Legal Defence Union to intervene in complaints investigations on behalf of solicitors interests while consumers who make complaints about their solicitors to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, are not represented in any way and have no organisation to turn to for help with their complaints.

SLCC to LDU no records of meetings keptSLCC Chair Jane Irvine agreed no records of discussion between regulator & lawyer’s lobby group at Balmoral Hotel. A limited amount of papers reluctantly disclosed by the SLCC under Freedom of Information legislation show a series of discussions between the two pro-lawyer bodies bosses, Jane Irvine for the SLCC and LDU Solicitor Director William Macreath, also a partner at law firm Levy McRae, who, according to the text of one of the letters disclosed to Diary of Injustice under FOI laws, both agreed “there would be no formal records of any element of the discussion.”. The letter from Jane Irvine to the LDU Director which disclosed the secret no-records-of-meetings policy went on to detail several technical issues about complaints regulation and how the SLCC should deal with solicitors & consumers, the former apparently having much greater priority over the latter. The limited Freedom of Information disclosure of documents disclosed by the SLCC documenting only a fraction of its dealings with the Legal Defence Union can be viewed online or downloaded here : FOI Disclosure : Involvement & meetings between Scottish Legal Complaints Commission & Legal Defence Union

Anyone who has made a complaint about their solicitor or law firm to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is HIGHLY ADVISED by Diary of Injustice journalists to ask the SLCC for copies of correspondence or representations made by the Legal Defence Union on behalf of the solicitor or law firm who is the subject of the complaint. If readers want to publicise any material, please send it to Diary of Injustice at scottishlawreporters@gmail.com

79 comments:

Anonymous said...

So the authorities get access to all papers and SLCC staff while the clients are kept in the dark - and this is the approved policy of our soon to be newly appointed Freedom of Information Commissioner!

Anonymous said...

More meetings with dear Jane at the Balmoral with the SLCC?

Jesus this is a right corrupt little quango in need of immediate shutdown.

Anonymous said...

Horrific really.

Given there are thousands of complaints made against lawyers every year I think its about time people got themselves out of the letter writing system which is really just a control method forced on us by more lawyers and took the bull by the horns.

Anonymous said...

TRULY EVIL

Anonymous said...

Let me get this straight - this Lockhart is STILL working as a lawyer ????

Why the hell are the Police not lifting him over the legal aid money?

Anonymous said...

Interesting.

How the heck can a single lawyer in a small Kilmarnock firm walk away with nearly a million pounds in legal aid over three years.

This man has friends at the top who were and still are covering for him.

Unmask the friends please.

Anonymous said...

Right now Jane Irvine will be whipping round all the staff to see who talked (again)

Did you know there are financial rewards on offer to SLCC staff who squeal on their colleagues and accuse them of leaking to the press?

Anonymous said...

If one single solicitor is walking off with £670,000 legal aid even after being accused of fraud the total amount of legal aid fraud in Scotland must be staggering!

Anonymous said...

Have to wonder how other cultures handle such blatant stealing.How about those countries in the middle east?Any ideas how they might deal with legal aid cheats and those who force the elderly to starve themselves to pay bills for bugger all done?

Careful folks you don't need to answer my question however I think I can guess what some of you might be thinking!

Anonymous said...

Multilayered legal dictatorship, yes they all sit on each others committees to protect each other.

Imagine care homes starving old ladies, the press would be all over it like flies on the brown stuff.

All lawyers are Nazi bastards.

Anonymous said...

SCANDAL : Legal Defence Union intervene in SLCC investigation over £670K Legal Aid lawyer who made Pensioner HOMELESS, STARVED to pay legal bills
================================
XXXXXXX XXXX used the same tactics in litigation cases, starves people into submission. But this old ladies torturer is protected by the the same demons who casued a farmers suicide.

Anonymous said...

Good one as always Peter its about time the SLCC Law Society & Slab are all scrapped they are utterly useless and just in it for themselves

Anonymous said...

Clearly no hope of anyone getting justice against the likes of this guy when the lawyers union steps in to fuck up the complaint.

Long past time for the end of self regulation and this is yet another example why lawyers cannot be trusted to regulate themselves.

Anonymous said...

Complaining about a lawyer is a pointless exercise. Far better to go public on web sites because the powers that be will always protect the lawyers.

Lawyers are the law, hence a flawed complaints system when the public face courts for their crimes.

Anonymous said...

Must admit this is not the usual kind of blog one might expect about a country's legal profession.Anyway no doubt about it Scottish lawyers are just as rotten as the mafia and best to stay away from them all.Hope you manage to save some of these poor people from the likes of these Lockhart characters.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic work Peter this is what news reporting is all about get stuck into them and dont let go!

Anonymous said...

So there is at least one good person at the SLCC if you are getting this type of sensitive information out of them.Good to know.You know you seem to do very well for a journalist Peter.All these exposes of the legal eagles they must choke on your every word,especially this Legal Defence Union who will detest being in the spotlight.

Keep up the good work as always.

Anonymous said...

Duncan Bannatyne has denied claims his recent divorce has left him unable to invest in any new projects.

It was claimed that the Dragons' Den star was heavily affected financially by his recent split from wife Joanne McCue, 45.

And it was even said he would be unable to invest in new business proposals on the BBC show.

However, the 63-year-old businessman took to Twitter today to rubbish the claims.
==============================
Well Duncan women are lovely but I cannot afford one. And you are too old for her.

Anonymous said...

I think the SLCC & the LDU should open a mediation office on neutral ground.

Somewhere like Lahore would be good.

Anonymous said...

The vermin lawyers will be trying to persuade anyone making a complaint to commit suicide so their precious scumbag lawyer can walk away from it

Actually I'd like to know how many suicides a year result because of what some scumrat lawyer has done to people.Have you noticed they never publish or talk about these kinds of things,just like the banks and Govt dont admit to causing suicides or keeping records of them yet we know they do because this country is spy city,cant go anywhere without a camera sticking in your nose or some official checking your movements yet they allow scum lawyers to starve pensioners to pay legal bills and then make them homeless.

What a country!Some fucking model for the rest of the world isnt it Call me Dave Cameron & fatso Salmond!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Interesting.

How the heck can a single lawyer in a small Kilmarnock firm walk away with nearly a million pounds in legal aid over three years.

This man has friends at the top who were and still are covering for him.

Unmask the friends please.

9 March 2012 19:44

Yes.Without a doubt Mr Lockhart has connections.It does not make sense a single lawyer in a one man firm was allowed to rake in £670K of legal aid over this time.Someone is protecting him from charges or a decent investigation.

If you find the friends of Mr Lockhart you will find some of the £670K..

Anonymous said...

Unfit to work as a lawyer just like the other 10,000 rattling around in Scotland

Anonymous said...

Its a good thing you chose to battle against all these crooked lawyers otherwise we would never hear about any of them and what they get up to.

This one lawyer taking nearly a million pounds in legal aid and then making the poor pensioner starve and go homeless is absolutely disgusting.Its about time something was done for all the victims of these criminals.

Anonymous said...

In the shady deal done between the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Legal Defence Union over Legal Aid Chief’s demands Lockhart be investigated by the Law Society, it was revealed by Diary of Injustice and the Sunday Mail newspaper that solicitor James McCann of the Legal Defence Union had stepped in to prevent any further investigations or prosecutions of ‘their client’ Mr Lockhart.
=============================
So even when Lockhart is wrong he is right. This case proves once again self regulation is poison. These people are simply evil, they will do anything to anyone to protect each other. If I had my way they would all be put in prison and left to starve to death, because that is what they dish out.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how Jane Irvine is feeling now you've blown all this up about the nasty Legal Defence Union and their intervening in complaints?

This is a big one for you Peter and I'm willing to bet the LDU do this all the time and people have not been told about it.Everyone should now be asking what happened to their complaint and to be given the information on the LDU and their case.

Anonymous said...

Unfit to work as a lawyer just like the other 10,000 rattling around in Scotland.

Actually the number now is 9,999.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

I think the SLCC & the LDU should open a mediation office on neutral ground.

Somewhere like Lahore would be good.
================================
No off the Grand Banks where the Atlantic is two and a half miles deep, nice place to put the legal profession. I wish I could afford a boat.

Anonymous said...

The only protection the public have against these organised ruthless scumbags are the campaigners. I have no doubt they would murder people to protect lawyers.

Anonymous said...

Lawyers the ultimate human scum, preying on innocent people like bacteria.

Anonymous said...

Magnificent blog and spirit I wish there are more people like you

Anonymous said...

Actually I'd like to know how many suicides a year result because of what some scumrat lawyer has done to people.
-----------------------------
Many no doubt, these people are human filth, calculating, ruthless and control everything for their own benefit. The SNP are the most dangerous political party in Scotland today and the others, well aint much better.

The Law Society are its branches of control are perfect examples of tyranny where the mob think Salmond is a saint and are as blind as the Germans were to Hitler. Salmond as First Minister might as well be President of the Law Society because his party have no compunction about the torture of this old lady. I am convinced they would put people in gas chambers, factories of death if they could get away with it.

Anonymous said...

SNP leader Alex Salmond has urged Scots to grasp the chance of independence, describing it as "the most natural thing in this world".

The first minister told his party's conference that while Scotland's devolved government could "demand", an independent one could "deliver".

He also said "Home Rule with independence beats Tory rule from Westminster, any day".
================================
Home rule by the Law Society of Scotland, fuck off Salmond.

Anonymous said...

This one lawyer taking nearly a million pounds in legal aid and then making the poor pensioner starve and go homeless is absolutely disgusting.
==============================
The Scottish National Party do not seem to think so, they condone lawyer tyranny.

Anonymous said...

That Sunday Mail story about the woman oap being starved to pay Lockhart's bills should be plastered over every front door of a lawyer's office just to warn clients what they are letting themselves in for.

Congrats to the Sunday Mail and you for bringing us this news and the warnings to stay away from lawyers.

Anonymous said...

Legal Aid Board must face an investigation over this failure and how many others are doing the same ????

Anonymous said...

The unelected omnipotent crooks have strong influence over the elected crooks and allow the former to abuse old ladies and any other unfortunate members of the electorate they see fit fot abusing.

The MSP's are worse than the legal profession and Joe Bloggs the average Scot is too blind to see it.

Those who control policymakers avoid punishment.

Anonymous said...

9 March 2012 19:44

Yes.Without a doubt Mr Lockhart has connections.It does not make sense a single lawyer in a one man firm was allowed to rake in £670K of legal aid over this time.Someone is protecting him from charges or a decent investigation.
================================
The all have connections, they are their own Judge, Jury and Exonerator. Self regulation should be outlawed by the Human Rights act as an abomination because these criminals are exempt from prosecution. It was designed to protect them from their clients. This is one of thousands of cases that shows what happens when a group believe they should be above the law. THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW. Cameron and Salmond talk about cuts but they never talk about these issues because they have no objection to Legal Aid fraud.

How many human rights lawyers would protect this old lady, NONE. The pattern is always the same clients abused or worse lawyers vindicated. Graduate bastards every one of them.

Anonymous said...

Legal Defence Union, the scum of the earth.

Anonymous said...

Why no criminal charges against this guy?Why did the legal aid not report him to Police after saying all they did in their own report?

Anonymous said...

Are any of these bastards fit to be trusted with clients interests.

Anonymous said...

This must be an epidemic in Glasgow because I've heard of anther lawyer being investigated for legal aid fraud and the claims are up there with Lockhart.

Get it all out in the open Peter and expose all these criminals stealing our money!

Ex proprio motu said...

A little something you may well be aware of Mr Cherbi.The late Mr McBride worked with the very same Niels Lockhart in the following story from the Kilmarnock Standard.

However I advise you to monitor any comments and refrain from publishing anything insensitive.I trust your readers will draw the appropriate conclusions and remain civilised in how they respond to this http://www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk/ayrshire-news/news-east-ayrshire/kilmarnock-news/2012/03/09/kilmarnock-lawyer-pays-tribute-to-former-trainee-paul-mcbride-qc-81430-30477652/

Kilmarnock lawyer pays tribute to former trainee Paul McBride QC

Mar 9 2012 by David Wynn, Kilmarnock Standard

THE Kilmarnock solicitor who helped Paul McBride QC embark on a brilliant career has paid a heartfelt tribute to his former trainee.

Mr McBride, who was found dead in Pakistan on Sunday, started his professional life at Lockharts in Kilmarnock, a practice he joined straight after graduating from university in 1985.

He undertook a two-year traineeship under the watch of Niels Lockhart and stayed on for a further year before being called to the bar in 1988.

Mr Lockhart said he was “absolutely stunned” and “devastated” to hear news of Mr McBride’s death at 48, describing him as an excellent lawyer but also a funny and bubbly character.

He said: “It’s so sad and tragic and at 48 it’s just far too young. I feel so bad for his parents as he was their only child and I can’t imagine what they are going through.

“Paul was with us for three years and now, looking back, I feel privileged to have been part of his career.

“He showed very early on that he was an excellent lawyer and a very intelligent young man.

“But there was also the fun side to him. He loved a joke and would often tell us on a Monday about stories from his refereeing, which he did at weekends.

“I have no doubt he would have went on to become a supreme court judge and Lord President of the Court of Session, that’s how good he was.”

Mr McBride was found dead by fellow Scottish lawyer Aamer Anwar. Officials in Pakistan have suggested he may have had a heart condition.

At 35, he was the youngest person ever to become a QC and in recent years he became a high-profile member of Scottish public life, involving himself in politics and representing Celtic Football Club, the team he supported.

Anonymous said...

Well well well..

"Mr McBride, who was found dead in Pakistan on Sunday, started his professional life at Lockharts in Kilmarnock, a practice he joined straight after graduating from university in 1985.

He undertook a two-year traineeship under the watch of Niels Lockhart and stayed on for a further year before being called to the bar in 1988."

You do realise Paul McBride was on the board of the same Scottish Legal Aid Board who quietly dropped their complaint against Lockhart,allowing him to walk away with close to a million pounds of taxpayers money?

This is a big shock to me.I hope you are looking into this Peter..

Anonymous said...

Crown Office refuse to identify judge convicted of benefit fraud

Mar 11 2012 Exclusive by Russell Findlay

A JUDGE has been convicted of benefit fraud – but his or her name is being kept secret.

The Crown Office are even refusing to say if the fraudster is a High Court judge, sheriff or justice of the peace.

Legal campaigner and blogger Peter Cherbi discovered he or she was one of six judges convicted of crimes since 2005.

Five were found guilty of road traffic offences but one admitted fiddling benefits while he or she passed judgment on other criminals.

Officials also refuse to reveal how much was stolen or where the fraud took place.

The mystery judge was convicted under section 111A(1)(a) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

While this identity is protected, the Crown Office have issued two press releases in the past four months naming others convicted under exactly the same section.

One of them, who asked not to be identified, said: “My name, date of birth and where I’m from are online.

“It was wrong but it is even more important for the public to know about a judge convicted of the same fraud.”

Labour justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald MSP said: “I would have thought the same rules should apply for members of the public and judges.”

The Crown Office keep a “hard copy file” of the six but say keeping the details secret is in the “public interest”.

Cherbi said: “People in front of a judge should know if they have a criminal record – that’s in the public interest.”

He also asked the Judicial Office of Scotland to reveal the name under freedom of information law, without success.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Why no criminal charges against this guy? Why did the legal aid not report him to Police after saying all they did in their own report?
================================
The police do not prosecute, only lawyers can prosecute so his escape route is secure.

Anonymous said...

Paul McBride worked for Lockhart?

STAGGERING!

Why no mention of Lockhart's legal aid fiddling in this "Kilmarnock Standard"?

JUST SHOWS YOU WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN SCOTLAND I HOPE EVERYONE IS TAKING NOTE OF THIS NEWS WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS AGAIN

Anonymous said...

EH Mr " Ex proprio motu" your obviously pissed and have left a comment on the wrong website.

If it was up to me I would drop all you wankers in the sea. After all the client suicides do you really think we give a flying fuck about Niels Lockharts devastation. A man who is a known criminal and serial thieving bastard.

Im sure I speak for everyone and this is as civilised as I can be you ignorant clown.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to say I'm surprised by the news of McBride.I'm not.

If you want a good summary of McBride you should be asking the victims of some of those he has defended through the years via criminal legal aid.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
In the shady deal done between the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Legal Defence Union over Legal Aid Chief’s demands Lockhart be investigated by the Law Society, it was revealed by Diary of Injustice and the Sunday Mail newspaper that solicitor James McCann of the Legal Defence Union had stepped in to prevent any further investigations or prosecutions of ‘their client’ Mr Lockhart.
=============================
So even when Lockhart is wrong he is right. This case proves once again self regulation is poison. These people are simply evil, they will do anything to anyone to protect each other. If I had my way they would all be put in prison and left to starve to death, because that is what they dish out.

10 March 2012 20:59
===================================

Unfortunately, Lockhart is unexceptual in sealing from the SLAB Leal Aid fund.

If Lockhart was jailed by the Crown Office, then this would set a Precedent and the Crown Office would have to send hundreds of Scottish crooked solicitors to jail.

The Crown Office don't do Justice!

Anonymous said...

So now its official, the mainstream press come to this blog to get the truth;

"A JUDGE has been convicted of benefit fraud A JUDGE has been convicted of benefit fraud – but his or her name is being kept secret..............Legal campaigner and blogger Peter Cherbi discovered he or she was one of six judges convicted of crimes since 2005."

Daily Record Mar 11 2012 'Exclusive' by Russell Findlay

Anonymous said...

All I can say is it's a good thing Jack Irvine & his "Media House" don't control the internet..

If any of you wonder why Lockhart and his ilk appear to be getting away with it just read up on how Steven Purcell (former Glasgow Council leader) managed to dodge coverage of cocaine & corruption until he hit the buffers too publicly to be ignored..

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

EH Mr " Ex proprio motu" your obviously pissed and have left a comment on the wrong website.

If it was up to me I would drop all you wankers in the sea. (YES THE MARIANAS TRENCH 7 MILES DEEP). After all the client suicides do you really think we give a flying fuck about Niels Lockharts devastation. A man who is a known criminal and serial thieving bastard. (YES PROTECTED BY BUREAUCRATIC THEIVING BASTARDS).

Im sure I speak for everyone and this is as civilised as I can be you ignorant clown.
==============================
I totally agree with you my friend Lockhart would not care if the suicide was the old lady he starved and made homeless. Mr McBride died of natural causes as far as I know. He could not and did not suffer legal hell because he was a member of the profession. Lawyers are gutter trash. What would they want done to people who treated them the way they treat clients. Lockhart go get some Prozac from your GP if you are depressed, that is one thing your Legal Defence Union cannot fix. As for the Kilmarnock papers not reporting this clearly the Law Society have many newspapers in their control.

You legal bastards are never devastated when client suicides happen, it could have happened to my sister and it is a good job she has a strong family. We understand the torture this old lady has gone through, if this was a care home making her homeless and starving it would be all over the news.

TRUST NO LAWYER.

Anonymous said...

As MacAskill said he who pays the piper calls the tune so the criminals who are paying the SLCC by using OUR money many times over are getting away with theft fraud murder anything they like

What are the odds the SLCC will completely exonerate Lockhart and recommend him for a knighthood?

Anonymous said...

Been reading this Kilmarnock Standard linked by the oh so obviously upset liwyer

There is another story from last year (majority copied from Sunday Mail) about Lockhart's inflated legal aid claims and at the end of the story Lockhart who gives no comment says the matter was in the hands of his lawyer!!!

I wonder WHO is lawyer IS/WAS???
http://www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk/ayrshire-news/news-east-ayrshire/kilmarnock-news/2011/04/01/report-slams-lawyer-s-legal-aid-claims-81430-28428707/

Report slams lawyer’s legal aid claims

Apr 1 2011 by Colin Rutherford, Kilmarnock Standard

A KILMARNOCK lawyer who amassed £600,000 in legal aid fees over two years has been accused of deliberately inflating his claims.

A Scottish Legal Aid Board dossier, obtained under freedom of information laws, alleges that 60-year-old solicitor Niels Lockhart routinely made “unnecessary and excessive” claims for legal aid.

The report reveals that Lockhart, who operates from an office in King Street, received £280,200 in legal aid fees in 2004 and £321,400 the following year.

Following a SLAB investigation he was referred to the Law Society who decided that no fraud had taken place.

In October last year Lockhart’s own lawyer came to a deal which allowed him to quit legal aid work voluntarily.

The SLAB dossier states: “Lockhart routinely makes consecutive grants of advice and assistance to the same clients for what appear to be similar matters submitted under a different guise. In the board’s views, the ranges of actions taken by Lockhart towards achieving those payments are not those appropriate to a competent and reputable solicitor.

“He arranges, or permits, his clients to attend his office on numerous occasions for excessive, unnecessary and often irrelevant meetings.

“In the main, these do not appear to have advantages for their further welfare or advance their case, but merely act as a mechanism for the firm to exploit the legal aid fund by charging for these unnecessary and unproductive meetings.”

The report also says: “This appears to the board to be a deliberate scheme by Lockhart to make consecutive grants of advice and assistance on behalf of the same client for the same matter for personal gain.”

Lockhart this week declined to comment and said that the matter was in the hands of his lawyer.

The father of two also hit the headlines in June 2009 when he launched a legal action against a 22-year-old student over money he gave her to pay her way through college.

Anonymous said...

Obviously a lot going on here and the Legal Aid Board have a lot to answer for.Investigate more and report back soon!

Anonymous said...

I wonder how many people die each year either as a result of suicide or death because of what their lawyer or a lawyer did..

If this figure got out it might be a hot potato for you to pursue.

Also thanks to whoever the commenter was who posted the Lockhart tears over McBride.I just spent 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back watching it all on Reporting Scotland.As someone else said earlier I hope some of the victims of criminals he defended now speak out.

Anonymous said...

The Crown Office are selective in who they prosecute, oh we cannot prosecute Niels because he is one of us, but the public, well we will make an example of them.

It is our justice system for prosecuting the plebs, get an LLB and you become one of the in crowd.

Law that is not applied equally is a scandal.

Anonymous said...

What a nauseating bunch of lawyer loving so called independent regulators at this slcc.

So did they ever come up with a comment or a reaction to the story?

Anonymous said...

Yes I couldnt help but notice Peter has now gone after the judges and given them a wigging.What an exciting time.First the Law Society (now widely untrusted, known to be corrupt) second the SLCC (same, no one trusts it, also crooked), third the Crown Office (always a racist nasty place of vindictive dangerous people now known to pay themselves huge bonuses) and now the judges (we always knew they were corrupt now we know they are!)

Funny how none of our elected politicians ever manage stuff like this isnt it and look at all the resources they have thrown against Peter yet he still comes up with the goods and tells us what we all need to know.Brilliant as always!

Anonymous said...

last comment 22:14

I agree.This is a refreshing website compared to all the rubbish in certain newspapers praising lawyers and probably paid word for word by the legal fraternity.Thank god someone tells it as reality and good to see papers taking up the reality side of the legal debate where public money is being stolen to order by thugs courtesy of the Law Society of Scotland

Anonymous said...

Clearly a case for the Police.However I have to wonder why the Scottish Legal Aid Board ended up claiming there was no fraud involved if they spent all that time investigating him and came to those conclusions in their report.Very fishy.Someone at the Scottish Legal Aid Board were pulling strings on behalf of Lockhart and I think we all now realise who this was.

Disgusting to put it bluntly.

Anonymous said...

"Independent Regulator", these two words are the biggest lie in the world today, a myth, a cover for corruption.

It allows vested interests to bypass a countries legal system and this encourages criminal activity because they are always outside the prosecution system.

Mr Lockhart is a perfect example, he does not face a public trial where he would be prosecuted only the privacy of the Law Society, SLCC and Legal Defence Union. What defence does this old lady have against this one sided bureaucratic lawyer loving machine? NONE.

Anonymous said...

Funny how none of our elected politicians ever manage stuff like this isnt it and look at all the resources they have thrown against Peter yet he still comes up with the goods and tells us what we all need to know.Brilliant as always!

12 March 2012 22:14

Yes Spot On !!!!!

Its about time the whole Scottish Justice system was pulled down and rebuilt for a modern Scotland not the archaic place all these legal vested interests want to keep us in.. and it seems only Peter can deliver!

Anonymous said...

The fact is no pensioner should be made to starve herself to pay a lawyer and also be made homeless?

This is beyond words.

Anonymous said...

Yes Peter you and the DOI Team are doing a wonderful job exposing the legal profession for the crooked rats they are. I for one am firmly convinced I will get more justice and satisfaction by posting my Lawyer on web sites than expecting the SLCC or Law Society to help me.

What we are witnessing as well as a lot of client suffering is power renewing itself, in that the so called independent regulators are anything but independent and we know writing to these people is like battering our heads against a brick wall.

The Law Society, SLCC would eliminate us if they could in gas chambers, silenced for ever. No only clients can regulate lawyers in cyberspace, and we will, so the Law Societies and SLCC can shove it, we know what they stand for. Brilliant journalism against these hoods.

Anonymous said...

Lockhart’s demands for ever more money to pay for fanciful legal work also forced the poor pensioner TO STARVE HERSELF to pay legal fees after being threatened by the Kilmarnock solicitor over a missed £100 payment of legal bills which were originally being paid by Legal Aid.
=============================
How many more will do this, the Lockharts do not light up, we cannot tell their background, who they have robbed, how they have been protected.

My advice is simple trust not one of them, they are ALL THE SAME.

Anonymous said...

Speaking as a retired Police Officer of 30 years service I am thrilled to see this kind of work being published in the open.For many years lawyers have kept criminals on the streets who we all knew should otherwise have been in prison.Now the public can see a few of those in the legal profession who should be in prison.

Anonymous said...

To think this is the scum that expect respect from the public in courts when they hide their crimes behind their pals who we are told investigate them impartially.

Independent Regulation is a myth, created to serve those who want to have power over their clients but do not want their clients to have power over them. In Europe when there was no balance of power agression was the result. the two world wars. In law where there is no balance of power the Lockhart's keep their jobs. I noticed the comment from the retired Police Officer, a friend who is a retired Police Inspector told me the same thing about criminal lawyers. The civil ones are no better.

Trust no lawyer not unless you want to be made homeless and starved.

Oh and Hudson well when your band of criminals can deal with my finances, I have the right to criticise you even if you do not like it, grow up.

Anonymous said...

According to Mr Hudson of The Law Society these sites are being monitored but currently ‘pose no danger to the public’.
==============================
This guy is fascinating, he really believes this, staggering, what a wally he is. NO DANGER TO THE PUBLIC, incredible The Law society is like a U Boat during World War II, activities unseen by the public there to sink any client and pat the lawyer on the back.

At what point Mr Hudson will the websites become dangerous to the public? In my opinion the Law Society is as dangerous to clients as explosives are to children. I do not know what medication you are on but I would stop taking it, you are losing touch with reality.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Speaking as a retired Police Officer of 30 years service I am thrilled to see this kind of work being published in the open.For many years lawyers have kept criminals on the streets who we all knew should otherwise have been in prison. Now the public can see a few of those in the legal profession who should be in prison.
=================================
I agree, but for decades the Law Societies have left criminals who have ruined clients to ruin more.
These situations are inevitable given that they police themselves. Whether it be civil or criminal lawyers in my opinion they are all criminals.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Why no criminal charges against this guy?Why did the legal aid not report him to Police after saying all they did in their own report?

11 March 2012 13:18
===================================

Unfortunatley, SLAB are also complicit in this Fraud as well as the Law Sociey of Scotland and the Crown Office.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Paul McBride worked for Lockhart?

STAGGERING!

Why no mention of Lockhart's legal aid fiddling in this "Kilmarnock Standard"? WELL EDITOR ANSWER THE QUESTION FOR US.
==================================
The press are meant to be free, but are in this case controlled by the state. Lockhart has pals in the right places, they all do, and make sure they cover each others backs. When they steal money or torture old ladies the complaint goes to a lawyer pal and hey presto the complaint is buried. The web sites are destroying this cover up facility, and we clients need to build an online database to kick the Lockhart's out.

Technically Mr McBride was a brilliant lawyer but that matters not when no lawyer will help a ruined client. It is legal robbery or whatever the lawyer gets up to, complain to an office structure and the cover up is a foregone conclusion.

Anonymous said...

Hundreds of ex-servicemen exposed to radiation in British nuclear weapons tests have lost a Supreme Court bid to launch damages claims against the MoD.

The veterans wanted compensation after claiming the tests in the South Pacific in the 1950s damaged their health.
=============================
Damages from the Government, lawyers are the government that is why they are above the law. These veterans had more chance of travelling at the speed of light 280,000 miles a second than getting damages.

No doubt the lawyers won, they always do.

Anonymous said...

Have to admire your work Peter.You provide investigations worthy of a forensic examination of these complex fiddles worthy of a law journal.

Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.
For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.
A murderer is less to fear.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero
=============================
A murderer is less to fear. So true because the murderer kills quickly, the traitor convinces the public his is their friend, wants to lead them to independence under a legal dictatorship where ordinary men and women have no legal rights if a member of the Law Society is at risk of ruin. The First Minister is such a man, he and MacAskill stand by the self regulators to the detriment of the people os Scotland.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting one Peter and I've been following your reports on Lockhart and what happened to his clients.Its a good thing you are on patrol as it were otherwise these sharks will easily rip off many other unsuspecting members of the public.

It is very suspicious to me about the Scottish Legal Aid Board dropping their complaint after all they said about him.'SLAB' do not sound like a very honest organisation after reading all your analysis of what happened to their investigation and how the complaint was dropped in that quiet deal with the Law Society.

Anonymous said...

"...The business of our MSP's is to destroy the truth when it suits them, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to sell this country and the Scots race for their daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this boasting of an independent complaints system?

We MSP's are the tools and vassals of rich men and lawyers behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes. We are the Scottish National Party, hell bent of nationalism, independence whilst strengthening Scotland's legal dictatorship"

~ Adapted from John Swinton 1880

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Speaking as a retired Police Officer of 30 years service I am thrilled to see this kind of work being published in the open.For many years lawyers have kept criminals on the streets who we all knew should otherwise have been in prison.Now the public can see a few of those in the legal profession who should be in prison.

13 March 2012 22:13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good of you to come forward. We need more policemen and ex-policemen to come forward in confidence to Peter Cherbie and to name names, so that we can get rid of these criminals once and for all.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Clearly a case for the Police.However I have to wonder why the Scottish Legal Aid Board ended up claiming there was no fraud involved if they spent all that time investigating him and came to those conclusions in their report.Very fishy.Someone at the Scottish Legal Aid Board were pulling strings on behalf of Lockhart and I think we all now realise who this was.

Disgusting to put it bluntly.

13 March 2012 10:44
###################################

How is this possible?

It may have something to do with the Crown Office allowing a senior member of SLAB to retain his job after he was 'let-off Scot Free' after soliciting a youth for sexual favours in a public toilet.

This way 'their man' will always bend easily to the will of the Crown Office under the threat that they may decide to prosecute him, thereby he would lose his cushy job and fat pension and probably be jailed?

Simples, as a meerkat might say.