A Barrister who was previously convicted for tax evasion offences has been ordered to step down by an independent Disciplinary Tribunal.
Michael Charles Roberts was initially convicted in 2014, after he pleaded guilty to a £274,000 tax fraud.
He admitted to a Court that he had failed to correctly pay Income Tax, National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and VAT after it was found that he had made a false statutory declaration and failed to declare his true earnings to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
Following charges brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the ex-Barrister, who has served a jail term since his original conviction, appeared at an independent Disciplinary Tribunal at the end of October 2016.
Mr Roberts was officially disbarred at the Tribunal, despite the fact that he had not practised as Barrister since his release from prison earlier this year.
Commenting on the Tribunal’s decision, Sara Jagger, Director of Professional Conduct at the BSB, said: “All Barristers have a duty to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.
“Mr Roberts’ actions were in clear breach of this duty and the Tribunal’s decision to disbar fully reflects this”.
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