Decision - Sanction…read more
Outcome: Rebuke
Outcome date: 9 February 2025
Published date: 29 September 2025
Firm details
Firm or organisation at date of publication and at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Safaaz Solicitors
Address(es): 26 Inglewood Road, Birmingham, B11 4AG
Firm ID: 447311
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Who does this disciplinary decision relate to?
Sadaf Ijaz is a solicitor in a recognised sole practice and a regulated body called Safaaz Solicitors whose office is at 26 Inglewood Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham B11 4AG.
Summary of decision
We have issued Sadaf Ijaz with a rebuke because she breached the Code of Conduct 2011 and the Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs 2019.
Sadaf Ijaz was a claimant in some litigation in two separate court cases. She was acting in her own name and on her own account. One was in Birmingham District Registry of the High Court. The other was in Birmingham County Court. On two separate occasions, one in 2019 and the other in 2022, the court ordered her to pay costs to the people she was suing.
On 2 August 2019, she was ordered to pay £6,300 by 12 August 2019. She paid £2,000 four weeks later to prevent bankruptcy proceedings being issued. It was not until 22 June 2022 that she finally paid the balance of the debt.
By an order dated 8 March 2022, Sadaf Ijaz was ordered to pay costs totalling £9,220.19. She should have paid this by 22 March 2022. She paid the amount in two parts, on 9 May and 2 June 2023.
Facts of the misconduct
Sadaf Ijaz knew, or should have known, she had no good reason not to comply with:
an order of the court dated 29 July 2019 which placed an obligation on her to pay costs by 12 August 2019 (the 2019 costs order) and
an order of the court dated 8 March 2022 which placed an obligation on her to pay costs by 22 March 2022 (the 2022 costs order).
She made an ineffective attempt to appeal the 2019 costs order but did not make an application for a stay of the order. She did not comply with the 2019 costs order after her appeal was struck out in September 2020. She failed to pay the sum due until 8 August 2022, three years after the 2019 costs order was made.
She deliberately chose, without good reason, not to pay the costs when the court ordered her to do so. Her conduct showed a concerning lack of judgment that fell significantly below the standards expected of a solicitor. For these reasons it was found that Sadaf Ijaz breached Outcome 5.3 of the Code of Conduct 2011 and paragraph 2.5 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors.
Decision on sanction
It was decided that a rebuke was an appropriate and proportionate sanction.
Sadaf Ijaz was issued with a written rebuke and ordered to pay costs of £600.
This was because Sadaf Ijaz's conduct was deliberate and moderately serious by reference to the following factors in the SRA Enforcement Strategy:
The issues are of moderate seriousness and do not require a higher level of response to maintain standards and to uphold public confidence.
Because Ms Ijaz has paid the costs orders, no lasting or significant harm to the payees has resulted.
Because Ms Ijaz has paid the costs orders, she has taken remedial action, but this persisted much longer than was ever reasonable.
Public sanction is required to uphold public confidence in the delivery of legal services.
SRA Code of Conduct 2011
Outcome 5.3 of the Code of Conduct 2011, which applied to the costs order in 2019, makes it obligatory for solicitors to comply with court orders which place obligations on them.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs 2019
Paragraph 2.5 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs 2019, which applied to the costs order in 2022, makes it obligatory for solicitors to comply with court orders which place obligations on them.
