Lawyers representing Rochdale grooming gang to be investigated

Shabir Ahmed - child sex abuse gang leader facing deportation

The Solicitors’ Regulation Authority has launched an inquiry into, Burton and Burton,  the lawyers acting for the Rochdale grooming gang, following a complaint made by Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk.

Four members of the gang are facing deportation back to Pakistan to serve their time, but the process has been delayed by lawyers making repeated and unsubstantiated requests for adjournment.

Justice McCloskey, president of the immigration chamber, has said that “scarce judicial and administrative resources have been wasted in dealing with repeated requests by the appellants’ solicitors for an adjournment”.

In a letter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Mr Danczuk said: “This does not appear to be a one-off but a systemic problem which clearly needs to be dealt with. It has delayed justice for the victims of these paedophiles, who I know are frustrated at the handling of this case, and has made a mockery of our justice system.”

Commenting on the launch of the investigation into the solicitors, Mr Danczuk said: “I am pleased that the Solicitors Regulation Authority is taking seriously my complaint about the solicitors Burton and Burton, and are to investigate the matter.

“I have a number of concerns regarding the conduct of this firm of solicitors, who have made repeated requests for adjournment, generating fees in the process. By unnecessarily dragging out the trial, they have allowed the perpetrators of these crimes to remain in the UK.

“By acting in this way, these solicitors are working to prevent criminal foreign nationals returning to their country of origin.

"The victims of the crimes committed by the four men in question must not be forgotten. They have waited long enough for justice, and it is only right and proper that the perpetrators of these crimes now serve their time in a Pakistani jail.

“There is no doubt that some solicitors have been dragging out the tribunal process. We need to think about the rights of the child victims who cannot get over these horrific crimes while the legal process is being dragged out by abusers and their representatives."