Attempt to demand all documents to avoid liability overturned
Quinn Direct lost a High Court case against The Law Society denying insurers access to Solicitors Regulation Authority documents to help them refuse indemnity, the Law Society Gazette reports
Justice Peter Smith threw out Quinn’s application to access all the documents held by the SRA after the SRA intervened into a two-partner firm, South Bank Solicitors.
Quinn applied for access to all intervention documents held by the SRA, saying that it needed access to decide whether or not it was obliged to indemnify one partner, Colin Ikoku.
No blanket release of documents
Smith said: “The whole purpose of the present application… is merely an attempt to gather evidence… to enable [Quinn] to refuse an indemnity.” He said that the SRA could continue providing access to files relating to existing claims, but otherwise, privilege and confidentiality prevented the blanket release of documents.
