QC JAMES ALLEN SACKED FOR ASSAULT, SUSPENDED FROM PRACTICE
James Allen QC was removed from his judicial position after he “lost his temper” and assaulted his wife in 2011.He was handed a 12-month supervision order following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.
Recently, he was suspended from practising for three months by the Bar Standards Board for professional misconduct and bringing the profession into disrepute, with the possibility to return to work afterward.
The hearing revealed he spent £76,000 on legal fees and incurred an additional £675 in costs.
Judge Paul Collins noted that the financial losses were ‘not insignificant even for a successful member of the bar,’ and stated Mr Allen had already been ‘heavily punished for assaulting his wife.’ Allen, 61, claimed his wife, Melanie, inflicted injuries on herself during the incident at their home near the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on February 20 last year.
Mrs Allen, 44, supported her husband's story and mentioned she had self-harmed previously.
However, District Judge Wickham did not believe their account and found Allen guilty of common assault.
A disciplinary hearing found that Allen pleaded guilty to conduct likely to bring the profession into disrepute, resulting in suspension for three months and an order to pay costs.
He will need to apply for a practising certificate to return to law practice.
