Former war crimes lawyer pleads guilty to fraud
A former human rights lawyer has pleaded guilty to fraud just a day before his trial was set to begin.
Phil Shiner pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court yesterday, just one day before his trial was set to begin.
The 67-year-old was the lead solicitor at Birmingham-based Public Interest Lawyers, where he led legal claims against British soldiers accused of mistreating Iraqi detainees following the 2003 Iraq War.
The fraud charges stem from claims related to the alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by British troops during the “Battle of Danny Boy” in May 2004.
One victim was Hamid Al-Sweady, whose uncle, Khuder Al-Sweady, accused British soldiers of unlawfully killing him at the age of 19.
In 2007, Shiner submitted legal aid claims for about £200,000 to represent clients like Khuder Al-Sweady in a judicial review.
In making the application, Shiner failed to disclose that an agent acting on his behalf and with his knowledge had been cold calling and making unsolicited approaches to potential clients in Iraq.
He also failed to disclose that he was paying referral fees. This practice was not permitted as part of gaining a Legal Aid Contract.
He was also convicted for providing a witness statement to the commission in support of his application which was again gained by an unsolicited approach.
As a result of the failure to disclose this information, Shiner was able to gain a valuable legal aid contract to enable him to pursue the judicial review.
The Al-Sweady Inquiry, which cost £24m, looked into allegations that British troops killed civilians in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. While the inquiry cleared soldiers of the most serious unlawful killing charges, it did find evidence of some mistreatment of detainees.
After the inquiry, Shiner was disbarred by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in 2017 due to 22 charges of professional misconduct.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit said: “This conviction is a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex domestic and international investigation.
“Shiner’s actions resulted in untold pressure and anxiety on members of the British Armed Forces, pursuing legal challenges funded through dishonest actions”.
Shiner will be sentenced on the 2nd of December.
