Former judge faces allegations of professional misconduct

A former district court judge sent to prison for deception faces two allegations of professional misconduct.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is hearing a case brought by the Law Society against former judge Heather Perrin today.

Two years ago she was convicted of separate offences of deception, regarding the making of a friend’s will, and another of false accounting.

She was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison but has since been released. She is not at today’s hearing.

The allegations would not be contested, said solicitor Sean Sexton, telling the tribunal his client had already been struck off the role of solicitors.

He said her convictions had been a source of difficulty to her family and that her son had lost his job as a result of the adverse publicity surrounding Ms Perrin’s trial.

The tribunal would not deal with the issue of penalty as a second case is to begin against Ms Perrin today.

The hearing continues.