A TRIBUNAL has told Raleys solicitors it must pay £300 each in compensation to two former miners. The Regent Street practice represented Gale Roberts and Michael Winters in successful compensation claims for vibration white finger. But High Court judges ruled last week the firm had provided ‘inadequate professional services’ to the men who claim they weren't told three per cent of their pay out would go to the NUM. Senior partner Derek Firth asked for the case to be reviewed by the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal but the High Court decision was upheld. A spokeswoman for Raleys said, despite the decision, the tribunal was in no doubt the firm felt the scheme was in the best interests of its clients. She said there was no allegation the clients had been misled and Raleys did not benefit from the deductions. But tribunal chairman Jeremy Barnecut said Raleys should have ‘spelled out directly’ the details of the deduction scheme and said the arrangements did not fully comply with the code of solicitors introduced in 1999. Raleys will wait for the full written findings to be published before deciding whether to appeal against the tribunal's decision.
