Navjot 'Jo' Sidhu KC, the former chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), has been disbarred following a finding of sexual misconduct towards a young woman he was mentoring. The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS) panel ruled that Sidhu abused his professional position and the trust of the woman, referred to as Person 2, during a mini-pupillage in 2018.
The tribunal found that Sidhu invited the woman, then in her 20s, to stay overnight in his hotel bed and engaged in sexual touching. The panel concluded that the invitation was of a sexual nature and that Sidhu knew or should have known it was inappropriate and unwanted. Three charges of professional misconduct were proven in December last year.
At the sanctions hearing, panel chair Janet Waddicor stated that the majority decision was to disbar Sidhu, noting the significant disparity in seniority and experience between him and the victim. Sidhu, in his 50s, was a senior silk, while the woman had no prior experience at the bar. Waddicor acknowledged the impact on the victim's wellbeing and the 'very painful' effect on Sidhu.
Fiona Horlick KC, for the Bar Standards Board, argued that disbarment was necessary to protect victims and public confidence. She cited Sidhu's lack of remorse and insight. Alisdair Williamson KC, for Sidhu, urged against disbarment, describing the incident as a one-off and noting Sidhu's psychotherapy and 17-month absence from work.
