Law Society chairman found 'guilty of gross misconduct'

The Law Society chief executive has been found "guilty of gross misconduct" following a character reference he provided to a cousin convicted of serious sexual offences.

David Lavery had provided a character reference to a court after the conviction of former schoolteacher William Lloyd-Lavery.

The Law Society said an independent disciplinary panel "determined that the appropriate sanction that the Chief Executive received a sanction short of dismissal".

Lavery declined to exercise his right to appeal.

Last month, Lavery was sacked from his role as a human rights commissioner but he remained in post as chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

Nicola Bannon - one of four women who were indecently assaulted by Lloyd-Lavery at a Belfast school in the 1970s - called on Lavery to resign.

A meeting was due to be held on Wednesday after 50 letters from Law Society members called for a Special General Meeting (SGM).

However, the Law Society said they have decided to "adjourn the Special General Meeting to a date to be fixed as soon as practicable".

It had originally been understood the solicitors wanted to debate and vote on a range of motions, including calling for the resignation of Lavery.

It had also been understood they wanted to know how the decision was made to keep him in post as chief executive, and on what basis.

Mark Borland, the president of the Law Society, previously told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme that Lavery had his support to continue as chief executive - but he expressed "regret" over how the society handled the situation and said they "got it wrong".

In a previous statement, Lavery apologised for a "serious error in judgement" in providing the character reference and "for any hurt and distress" he caused the victims.

"I profoundly regret that and I am committed to doing all I can to address it in the time ahead," he said.

On Tuesday, the Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan said she thinks there is a "discussion" to be had on character references.

Earlier this year, Lloyd-Lavery, of Richmond Avenue in Lisburn, was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault against four of his former pupils.

The pensioner previously taught history at Richmond Lodge School in Belfast and was later a press officer for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).

The women, who were aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the assaults, were praised by the trial judge "for coming forward to expose a paedophile".

Lloyd-Lavery was sentenced to two years in prison in April.

Following that hearing, two of the victims waived their right to anonymity to speak publicly about their experiences.

During that interview, Nicola Bannon and Lynne Darcy said they found it difficult to deal with the character references that had been given to the court before their attacker was sentenced.

The following month the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) launched a formal process into the actions of Lavery, who was then its commissioner.

In Lavery's character reference, Lloyd-Lavery was described as someone who had a Christian faith, a family man, and someone who wanted to contribute to society.

"I know that he was well respected in these circles and was viewed as a person of sound judgement and good character," it said.

David Campbell, chair of the Loyalist Communities Council former UUP chair, also provided Lloyd-Lavery a reference.

In May, Campbell told BBC News NI: "It was never my intention to add to their [the victims] hurt."

Character references, which are introduced following a conviction, are a legitimate part of the justice system, according to Belfast solicitor Paul Dougan.

"It's part and parcel of information that assists the judge in reaching a fair and balanced decision in terms of sentencing," he previously told Good Morning Ulster.

It is important for the judge to have a "complete picture about the person to be sentenced," he added, and to take into account factors such as previous convictions or a clear record.

Nicola said that while she recognises there is a place for character references in some court cases, she objects to them being used in child sex abuse cases.

"Often the very things used to mitigate a sentence - such as somebody's position in society or their role as a teacher or educator - that's often the mask behind which they offend.

"They use that position in order to groom children, in order to abuse them because they know those children have to obey what they say."

Earlier this month, Philip Armstrong, a senior member of the Council for the Law Society, resigned over the handling of the matter.