Request ID: FOI-2115-2425 Date published: 16 October 2024
You asked
Dear TfL Legal Officer,
I am writing to formally request further information and to lodge a formal complaint.
Kindly provide the name of the legal officer within Transport for London (TfL) who authored the attached pre-action response dated 16th September 2024. This is in preparation for a formal complaint I intend to submit to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Section 1.4 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs, and RFLs sets out the standards that TfL’s legal department is obligated to adhere to, specifically:
“You do not mislead or attempt to mislead your clients, the court or others, either by your own acts or omissions or allowing or being complicit in the acts or omissions of others…”
I submit that the conduct of TfL’s legal officer, as outlined in my previous correspondence, falls short of these professional standards. It is evident that the legal officer has made attempts to mislead and has, through their actions, been complicit in the acquiescence of multiple breaches of the law which are being committed by parties operating within the regulated taxi trade.
In the event that TfL does not voluntarily disclose the identity of the author of this pre-action response, I formally request that this information be provided through a Freedom of Information request.
Reference
1. https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2115-2425
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 1st October 2024, detailed below. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“Kindly provide the name of the legal officer within Transport for London (TfL) who authored the attached pre-action response dated 16th September 2024. This is in preparation for a formal complaint I intend to submit to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Section 1.4 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs, and RFLs sets out the standards that TfL’s legal department is obligated to adhere to, specifically:
“You do not mislead or attempt to mislead your clients, the court or others, either by your own acts or omissions or allowing or being complicit in the acts or omissions of others…”
I submit that the conduct of TfL’s legal officer, as outlined in my previous correspondence, falls short of these professional standards. It is evident that the legal officer has made attempts to mislead and has, through their actions, been complicit in the acquiescence of multiple breaches of the law which are being committed by parties operating within the regulated taxi trade.
In the event that TfL does not voluntarily disclose the identity of the author of this pre-action response, I formally request that this information be provided through a Freedom of Information request.”
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, the information is being withheld from release under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, the exemption that protects against the unfair release of personal data. There is no particular public interest in disclosure, and no reason for the officer to be named in order for you to progress a complaint.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
