Disgraced human rights lawyer Phil Shiner admits fraud.

Former human rights lawyer Philip Shiner has pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud regarding to claims made against Iraq war veterans.

Philip Shiner, aged 67, entered a guilty plea today to three counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court. A former human rights attorney, Shiner was instrumental in initiating legal actions against British soldiers accused of mistreating Iraqi detainees following the 2003 Iraq conflict.

He served as the Principal Solicitor at the law firm Public Interest Lawyers. In 2007, he submitted a request to the Legal Services Commission, the predecessor of the Legal Aid Agency, seeking up to £200,000 in Legal Aid funding for his firm to represent clients, including Khuder Al-Sweady, in a Judicial Review application. In total, he received approximately £3 million in contract value. The subsequent Al-Sweady inquiry incurred a cost of £24 million to taxpayers.

In his application, Shiner failed to inform the Commission that an agent, acting with his knowledge, had been cold calling and making unsolicited offers to potential clients in Iraq. Additionally, he did not disclose that he was paying referral fees, a practice that was prohibited under the terms of obtaining a Legal Aid Contract.

He was also found guilty of providing a witness statement to the Commission in support of his application, which was similarly obtained through unsolicited contact. Due to his failure to disclose this critical information, Shiner was able to secure a lucrative legal aid contract to facilitate the judicial review. Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit, remarked: “This conviction marks a significant achievement in what has been a comprehensive and intricate investigation, both domestically and internationally. "Shiner’s misconduct caused immense pressure and distress to members of the British Armed Forces, who faced legal challenges funded through deceitful means.”

Philip Shiner is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2nd.

Phil Shiner

Shiner received his education at the University of Birmingham, where he obtained his LLB in 1978, and later at the University of Warwick, earning his LLM in 1985. He served as an honorary research fellow at the University of Warwick from 1999 to 2004 and held the position of honorary professor of law at London Metropolitan University from 2005 to 2013. Additionally, he was a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics during the same period.

In July 2012, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of law by the University of Kent; however, this honor was rescinded in November 2017 due to findings of misconduct against him. In 2004, Shiner was recognized as the human rights lawyer of the year, an accolade jointly presented by the human rights organizations Liberty and JUSTICE, in acknowledgment of his exceptional skill, perseverance, and commitment to the pursuit of justice. Furthermore, in 2007, he received the title of solicitor of the year from the Law Society. From 2004 to 2014, he contributed regularly to The Guardian newspaper.

Bankruptcy

In March 2017, Shiner announced his bankruptcy, with debts nearing £7 million. By February 2018, the Insolvency Service (IS) discovered that Shiner had transferred ownership of his residence to a family member and placed it in a trust, enabling him to continue residing there. Additionally, he sold two commercial properties for £550,000 each and moved two guitars valued at £3,500 into the family trust. The IS reports that they have successfully recovered over £483,000 but still need to pursue the recovery of an additional £6.5 million in Shiner's assets.

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