After making offensive sexual remarks to junior female coworkers, the head of the legal department at Gloucestershire Police was disbarred.
In addition to sending her offensive WhatsApp messages, Michael Griffiths disclosed to one woman his sexual relationship with his wife.
The Bar Disciplinary Tribunal’s complete ruling has not yet been made public, but according to a summary released by the Bar Tribunal and Adjudication Service, the first incident happened in June 2023 while junior female coworkers, Persons A and B, were travelling for work to attend a conference at a chambers in London.
Mr. Griffiths, who was called in 1993, remarked that a young woman in a short skirt standing in the aisle would be “a nice addition to the office” during the train ride.
Then, Mr. Griffiths said, “I can take you there if you like, but I don’t think they do 20-minute sessions,” in response to Person A’s suggestion that he use the business card to reserve a hotel room in London for the night.
He said, “Oh trust me, if I was taking you in there, I could afford it,” in response to Person A’s statement, “You’d never afford to take me in there anyway.”
Additionally, he messaged Person A on WhatsApp on a number of occasions between November 2021 and June 2023, telling her that he was missing her. “I know you are unique xxx, we love you x” was how one concluded.
Mr. Griffiths messaged Person A twice late one night in January 2023, asking if she liked him. “Sos I asked u if you like me not appropriate me was drunk truly sorry x,” he wrote a week later.
He “shared intimate details about his sexual relationship with his wife with Person A” in December 2022.
The volume of messages was “excessive with some of the content inappropriate in nature as between a senior barrister and a junior colleague,” according to BTAS.
It was determined that his actions amounted to “inappropriate and/or unwanted direct contact with Person A and Person B when Mr. Griffiths was in a position of seniority and which had the purpose or effect of violating Person A and Person B’s dignity, was humiliating and/or created an offensive environment for Person A and Person B and was an abuse of his senior professional position.
In addition to disbarring Mr Griffiths, the tribunal directed the Bar Standards Board (BSB) not to grant him a practicing certificate while an appeal was pending.
Additionally, it mandated that he pay £2,880 in expenses.
“We are committed to ensuring that such behaviour is not tolerated at the Bar and take all reports of such conduct seriously,” a BSB representative stated.
“Mr Griffith’s actions were a clear example of this type of conduct and incompatible with membership in the Bar, and this is reflected in the tribunal’s decision to disbar him.”
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