SRA “issues advice” to solicitor following CAA complaint about his social media activity
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has “issued advice” to a solicitor following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism about his social media activity.
After a member of the public brought the online conduct of solicitor Michael Walton, formerly of NP Law, to our attention, we submitted a complaint in respect of numerous posts that he appeared to have published.
The posts included myriad descriptions of the Jewish Labour MPs Luciana Berger, Dame Louise Ellman and Dame Margaret Hodge, as well as prominent figures in the fight against antisemitism such as Rachel Riley, as “bitches”, and posts such as: “Sadly, we now know who is really leading the labour party. The Israeli Zionist Jews and Starmer is their puppet [sic].”
Other posts said of Dame Margaret “the poisonous witch IS anti Semitic” and asked: “Why hasn’t the stupid bitch been expelled?” Of Rachel Riley, another post asked: “Can somebody please sue that stupid, spiteful bitch Rachel Riley? How dare she use a photo of Corbyn being led away from an apartheid rally yet in the same breath say he’s anti-Semitic?! It beggars belief. HE IS NOT ANTI SEMITIC WHATSOEVER just rightly critical of Israel [sic].”
To Luciana Berger MP, one post read: “F*** OFF. You are a poisonous little bitch and your slander together with Hodge’s et al is destroying the great Labour Party – MY Labour Party – and that brings ME real pain. Jeremy is the least racist person you could ever meet, as is CW. And you’re doing it by deliberately.” “CW” is likely a reference to Chris Williamson, the disgraced former Labour MP.
These are just a sample of the considerable volume of examples of abusive social media postings, which we provided to the SRA.
Following an investigation, the SRA decided to “issue advice to Mr Walton and confirm that should the conduct or behaviour be repeated or the situation continue, more serious action is likely to be taken.”
His comments on social media were found to be “hostile and offensive” and to be in breach of Principle 6 of the SRA Principles 2011 and Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2019, as the comments were made between the new and old handbooks. Mr Walton does not have the right to apply to the SRA for a review of this decision.
The SRA advised that this decision will not be published but will remain on Mr Walton’s records and may be considered in any future investigations.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are grateful to the member of the public who brought these abominable social media posts to our attention. It beggars belief that a regulated professional could consider such conduct appropriate, and we are pleased that the SRA has taken these concerns seriously. Those who abuse Jewish people should know that we will stop at nothing to bring them to justice.”
If you are aware of a regulated professional who has engaged in behaviour that is hostile to Jewish people, please call us confidentially on +44 (0)330 822 0321 or e-mail us at [email protected].
