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Former human rights lawyer Phil Shiner has avoided jail time following charges of fraud relating to legal aid claims made in 2007, including false claims of abuse by British troops in Iraq. Shiner was given a two-year suspended sentence by Judge Christopher Hehir, who said he did not believe that Shiner was “motivated by personal greed,” despite the obvious dishonesty. Shiner was seeking £200,000 in legal aid funding on behalf of his clients in an application for judicial review.
Shiner’s former firm, Public Interest Lawyers, represented clients such as Khuder Al-Sweady in a case claiming Hamid Al-Sweady, Khuder Al-Sweady’s nephew, was unlawfully killed while in the custody of British troops at military base Camp Abu Naji. However, inquiries found that the most serious allegations made by Public Interest Lawyers were entirely false, concluding that Hamid Al-Sweady had been killed “outright” during fighting.
In 2017, Shiner was struck off as a lawyer by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for pursuing false torture and murder allegations against British troops. According to the National Crime Agency, Shiner received around £3m as part of the contract, and the ensuing Al-Sweady inquiry cost taxpayers £24m.
During his sentencing, Judge Hehir told the court that Shiner had “got carried away with enthusiasm by his client’s cause, and his judgment suffered as a result.” Shiner failed to disclose that an agent was cold-calling and making unsolicited approaches to potential clients in Iraq, thereby violating legal aid contract terms. Shiner also failed to disclose that he was paying referral fees, which is not permitted as part of gaining a legal aid contract.
Perhaps most detrimental to Shiner’s future, he has suffered professional ruin as a result of his actions
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