A solicitor has been fined for sending overly aggressive and legally flawed letters in a campaign against Covid vaccination.
Philip Julian Paul Hyland, a solicitor with a previously unblemished record, has been fined £15,000 for his involvement in an anti-vaccine campaign. He sent aggressive and legally inaccurate letters to a GP surgery and a government agency, intending to provoke litigation that would publicly advance his cause.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) criticised Hyland’s letters as tactical devices designed to pressure recipients into court, allowing him to present his anti-vaccine stance. The tribunal found the arguments in the letters confused and legally baseless, noting that their aggressive tone and disingenuous content constituted professional misconduct.
The first letter aimed at obtaining a vaccine exemption for a client wishing to travel to Brazil, accused the GP surgery of unethical and criminal conduct. Meanwhile, the second letter threatened injunction proceedings against the chair of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on behalf of clients, including a GP and medical students, accusing the agency of serious misconduct and demanding the cessation of vaccine authorisation and related public announcements.
Hyland defended his actions as following client instructions within legal procedures, yet admitted his phrasing could have been different. The tribunal, while acknowledging his passion and commitment, criticised his lack of transparency and objectivity, noting that he treated the recipients as pawns in a broader campaign against public health measures.
In conclusion, the SDT fined Hyland £15,000 and ordered additional costs, reminding solicitors of their duty to maintain objectivity and proportionality in representing clients, even in contentious issues.
The tribunal’s ruling underscores the importance of ethical conduct and objectivity in legal practice, especially in controversial issues.
