Mariam El-Sobky disbarred after WhatsApp slurs and court recordings
Bar Standards Board tribunal finds barrister breached confidentiality and integrity rules in 2021
Incident → evidence → outcomeA barrister who practised at Lincoln’s Inn has been disbarred after a disciplinary tribunal ruled she made offensive remarks about a former colleague and secretly recorded Family Court hearings. Mariam El-Sobky, called to the Bar in 2001, was found to have breached multiple professional standards in 2021.
The Bar Standards Board tribunal heard that in December 2021, El-Sobky sent WhatsApp messages describing a former employee as "a very sick young lady" and suggesting she should be placed in "a mental asylum". The messages included the line: "No access to internet or Wi-Fi and restraints lol."
Unauthorised recordings and confidentiality breaches
El-Sobky also recorded at least three Family Court hearings in July and August 2021 without judicial permission. She shared the recordings with employees via WhatsApp to create transcripts, the tribunal found. In March 2021, she sent sensitive legal documents to a personal email address, breaching client confidentiality.
The tribunal ruled she had acted without honesty and integrity, made dishonest or misleading statements to a court, and failed to attend a key meeting between lawyers, sending an unqualified individual in her place. An Employment Tribunal had previously found her WhatsApp comments amounted to harassment in February 2023.
What happens next
El-Sobky has been suspended from practice for nine months. She will only be permitted to return to legal work if she provides "satisfactory proof of capacity to practise" from a mental health professional approved by the Bar Standards Board. She was also ordered to pay £7,226.44 in costs.
Questions this report answers
01What did Mariam El-Sobky do to get disbarred?
El-Sobky made offensive WhatsApp remarks about a former colleague’s mental health, recorded Family Court hearings without permission, and breached client confidentiality by sending sensitive documents to a personal email. The Bar Standards Board tribunal ruled these actions breached professional standards.
02How much does Mariam El-Sobky have to pay in costs?
The tribunal ordered El-Sobky to pay £7,226.44 in costs following her disbarment. This sum covers the expenses of the disciplinary proceedings brought by the Bar Standards Board.
03Can Mariam El-Sobky return to practising law?
El-Sobky may return to legal work only if she provides proof of her mental fitness from a Bar Standards Board-approved professional. She has been suspended for nine months and must meet this requirement before any reinstatement.
04When did the incidents that led to her disbarment happen?
The breaches occurred in 2021. El-Sobky recorded Family Court hearings in July and August, sent confidential documents in March, and made the offensive WhatsApp remarks in December. The tribunal concluded its proceedings this year.
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