Shamima Begum’s lawyer fined £6,500 for breaches in antisemitic broadcast
Tasnime Akunjee must also pay £30,000 towards regulator’s costs following participation in PressTV programme ‘Mishcon de Reya – Zionist Law Firm’
A solicitor who took part in a PressTV broadcast titled Mishcon de Reya – Zionist Law Firm has been found guilty of two breaches of the profession’s code of conduct.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal decided on Thursday that Tasnime Akunjee misled or attempted to mislead and that he abused his position when he took part in the programme in September 2022.
It found that the Iranian state-sponsored channel’s broadcast was antisemitic in tone and content though the panel also made clear that no allegation of antisemitism was being made against Akunjee. Two other accusations relating to recklessness and to events that took place after the broadcast were found to be not proven.
A pre-recorded clip shown in the programme, part of PressTV’s Palestine Declassified series, describes Mishcon de Reya as “deeply bonded to Israel at every level of the company”, concluding: “Watch out, [the firm] could have you on their hit list.”
Akunjee, a criminal defence solicitor, was fined £6,500 for the breaches and ordered to pay costs of £30,000. The SRA had sought costs of £45,480 for what it described as “an unusual case” that had required considerable advice and preparation.
Louise Cullerton, for the SRA, reminded the panel that in January this year Akunjee had been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority for reckless and abusive tweets, in a matter that was not passed to the tribunal.
David Gottlieb, representing Akunjee, argued in mitigation that the makers of the programme, which is still available online, “took advantage of someone who was grieving the death of their brother”. Akunjee’s brother died tragically in April 2022.
Gottlieb also said the matter had had “harsh consequences” for Akunjee personally, and that the disciplinary proceedings hanging over him had been one reason why he had changed his mind and decided not to stand as an MP in this year’s general election. Akunjee had intended to put himself forward as an independent candidate in Bethnal Green and Stepney to try to unseat Labour’s Rushanara Ali over her refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Giving evidence on the first day of the three-day hearing, Akunjee, 46, a former lawyer for so-called Isis Bride Shamima Begum and a former pupil at City of London School for Boys, had said he had not realised until after arriving at the PressTV studio exactly what the broadcast was going to be about, and that mistakes he had made when being interviewed were due to the fact that he had not adequately researched or prepared for the topic.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
