Honesty After an Arrest: What Trainees Need to Know

⚠ For PSR training, not legal advice. This article is for educational purposes and is general information only, not legal advice. AccrediLaw provides training; we do not provide legal advice.

Being arrested is frightening, particularly when you are young and trying to establish yourself in a legal career. You may be worried about your job, your training and what people will think. The urge to keep it to yourself is human, and I would not want us to lose sight of that when reading this case.

The police investigation ended with no further action. The false answers to the firm still had consequences.

What Happened

Owen Goodhand was employed as an apprentice solicitor when he was arrested on 28 March 2025 and released on bail.

On 1 April 2025, he emailed his HR manager and supervisor saying that illness had caused his absence on the day of the arrest. He knew that was untrue.

On 28 April 2025, his supervisor asked about personal conduct issues, including whether he had been arrested, charged or convicted in a criminal matter. He answered “no”.

He disclosed the arrest and admitted the dishonesty in a meeting with the firm’s compliance officer for legal practice, or COLP, on 8 May 2025. The notice does not say who called that meeting. He was dismissed on 24 June 2025.

Kent Police confirmed on 2 September 2025 that the investigation was closed with no further action.

The SRA made its decision on 8 September 2026 and published it on 20 October 2026. It imposed a section 43 order and £600 costs.

What the Order Means

A section 43 order under the Solicitors Act 1974 means that no SRA-regulated firm may employ or pay him without the SRA’s written permission. Apprentices are not on the roll of solicitors. The order controls his future employment in regulated practice, and he can apply to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for review.

The finding concerned dishonesty: the false illness email and the answer to a direct question. The later police decision did not change those answers.

SRA Principles 4 and 5 require honesty and integrity. They apply to employees of SRA firms as well as solicitors. The SRA says its approach to non-authorised staff is “the same as for solicitors”.

There was no SRA rule requiring him to report a bare arrest to the regulator. The individual notification duty applies to solicitors and concerns being charged, convicted or cautioned. An arrest alone is not on that list.

If It Happens to You

If you work as a police station representative, trainee or apprentice in criminal defence and are arrested, tell your firm early, before anyone asks. Put it in writing to your supervisor or COLP.

Keep it factual: you were arrested, the date, whether you are on bail or released under investigation, and the next date if there is one. You do not have to argue the allegation in that email. Take your own legal advice on what to say about it.

Never give a false reason for an absence. If asked directly whether you have been arrested, never say no when the answer is yes.

This matters for admission too. Dishonesty is listed in the SRA’s character and suitability rules. An arrest ending in no further action is not among the listed criminal conduct.

I have sympathy for someone frightened about losing the career they are working towards. He did eventually tell the COLP, and that deserves to be acknowledged. Firms also need to be able to trust the answers their staff give them.

Should he have been given a second chance, or does a trainee carry exactly the same duty of honesty as a qualified solicitor?