Lawyer collapsed at court after showing up drunk

A barrister has been ordered to pay a £1,000 penalty after turning up to court too drunk to represent his client.

James Hankinson was taken to hospital after collapsing at Maidstone Combined Court Centre in Kent on 13 March 2025, the Bar Standards Board said.

His client reported he had red eyes, was slurring his speech and smelled strongly of alcohol when he arrived ahead of a hearing, according to the regulator.

Hankinson, who qualified in 2014, accepted his conduct was a breach of his duties and told the board in mitigation that the incident was "a one-off".

A regulator panel ruled that Hankinson's behaviour had been "reckless" and had "wasted the court's time".

The barrister "stated his deep regret" and said he was "incredibly ashamed of his actions" after reporting himself to the regulator four days after the incident.

Hankinson had since supplied toxicology test to his chambers "to demonstrate his ongoing abstinence from alcohol".

His client's hearing was rescheduled and a more senior lawyer replaced Hankinson, who "personally compensated the client for their loss of earnings due to attending the relisted hearing".

Additional reporting by PA Media

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