An unregistered barrister has been ordered to be disbarred after he was found to have made false allegations in a report to the Bar Standards Board on two barristers alleging homophobia, harassment and discrimination.
Barry Harwood, called to the bar in November 1998, was found to have failed to act with honesty and/or with integrity and behaved in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession.
Harwood was a member of the Bar Council from September 2019 until November 2020. At the time, he was known as Barry Harwood-Ferreira. The Gazette understands that, as a council member, Harwood served on both the Equality, Diversity & Social Mobility and the Education and Training committees.
The BSB said: ‘The tribunal found that Mr Harwood had fabricated parts of the allegations, which were serious and made against two other members of the bar.’
Harwood was found to have ‘knowingly misled or attempted to mislead’ the regulator.
A BSB spokesperson added: ‘Dishonestly and deliberately making false allegations to a regulator, especially in relation to serious matters such as discrimination and harassment, is wholly incompatible with membership of the bar and the tribunal’s decision to disbar Mr Harwood reflects this.’
The five-person disciplinary tribunal made an immediate order that the BSB is prohibited from issuing Harwood with a practising certificate.
Harwood was disbarred and ordered to pay costs of £5,544. The tribunal’s decision is open to appeal.
