A barrister who put pressure on a defendant to plead guilty and appeared in court under the influence of alcohol has been suspended from practice for three months.
William Magill, called by Inner Temple in 2011, was found by a disciplinary tribunal to have breached his duty not to behave in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public would place in him or the profession.
While representing the Crown Prosecution Service, Magill was found to have ‘disrupted the business of the court’ by appearing as an advocate while ‘under the influence of alcohol’ as well as pressuring a defendant to plead guilty.
The Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service’s five-person panel ordered Magill to be suspended from practice for three months. A further condition was imposed that at the end of the suspension, Magill ‘must provide evidence of his abstinence from alcohol for the duration of the suspension itself’ to the Bar Standards Board. If he does not do so, he will continue to be suspended ‘until proof is provided of his abstinence to the BSB’.
The tribunal’s findings are subject to appeal.
A BSB spokesperson said: ‘Mr Magill’s behaviour breached a number of his duties as a barrister and the tribunal’s decision reflects this.’
