A former human rights lawyer is due to be sentenced for fraud charges linked to claims made against Iraq War veterans.
Phil Shiner, 67, admitted that an agent acting on his behalf had been cold-calling potential clients in Iraq.
He also admitted paying referral fees, both of which were in contravention of the terms of being granted a legal aid contract as part of a judicial review.
The review led up to the Al-Sweady inquiry into allegations of mistreatment and unlawful killing of Iraqi nationals by British troops in 2004.
The inquiry found that the most serious claims of murder and torture were “entirely false” and the product of “deliberate lies”.
Shiner, of Birmingham, was the principal solicitor of the law firm Public Interest Lawyers.
He made an application to the Legal Services Commission in 2007 in which he sought up to £200,000 of legal aid funding for his firm to represent clients including Khuder Al-Sweady, in an application for judicial review.
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), he received around £3 million in the value of the contract and the ensuing Al-Sweady inquiry cost the taxpayer £24 million.
The inquiry found that Mr Al-Sweady’s nephew, Hamid Al-Sweady, had been killed “outright” whilst fighting, and had been a “willing and active” participant in an attack on British forces.
In making his application, Shiner failed to disclose that an agent acting on his behalf and with his knowledge had been cold-calling and making unsolicited approaches to potential clients in Iraq.
He also failed to disclose that he was paying referral fees.
This practice was not permitted as part of gaining a legal aid contract, the NCA said.
Shiner was also convicted for providing a witness statement to the commission in support of his application which was again gained by an unsolicited approach.
As a result of his failure to disclose this information, Shiner was able to gain a “valuable legal aid contract to enable him to pursue the judicial review”, the NCA said.
Shiner, who is currently on bail, will be sentenced for three counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.
