Automated report. Written from the official Solicitors Regulation Authority decision linked below and published after automated checks; not read by an editor before publication. Corrections: editor@lawweek.co.uk.
Enyinda Chinda, a solicitor and partner of C.V Brooks Solicitors, has agreed a regulatory settlement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after he was convicted of driving with excess alcohol and failed to report the matter promptly. The agreement, dated 23 October 2026 and published on 27 October 2026, records that Mr Chinda is rebuked and will pay the costs of the SRA’s investigation.
The SRA said Mr Chinda drove a motor vehicle on 22 October 2024 with a blood alcohol level of 226mg per 100ml, exceeding the prescribed limit of 80mg per 100ml. He was convicted on 21 January 2025 after pleading guilty, and on 24 February 2025 was sentenced to a community order with an alcohol abstinence requirement and a rehabilitation activity requirement, disqualified from driving for 28 months, and ordered to pay a surcharge of £114 and prosecution costs of £85. Mr Chinda reported this conviction, along with another driving conviction, to the SRA on 10 October 2025, following an enquiry from the SRA about another matter.
Key points
- Mr Chinda admitted driving with excess alcohol on 22 October 2024, engaging Principle 2 of the SRA Principles.
- He admitted failing to report the charge or conviction to the SRA promptly, engaging paragraph 7.6(a) of the Code of Conduct for Solicitors.
- The SRA recorded that Mr Chinda has two previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol, one of which was in 2012, which he reported eight years later in 2020 and for which the SRA imposed a financial penalty in 2021.
- Mr Chinda agreed to be rebuked, to publication of the agreement, and to pay costs of £300.
The findings
The SRA accepted Mr Chinda’s admissions regarding both the driving offence and the delay in reporting it. The SRA said Mr Chinda was directly responsible for his conduct and that his driving while under the influence of alcohol was reckless as to the risk of harm and his regulatory obligations. The SRA said there was clear evidence of repetition of conduct, both in terms of the offending behaviour and his failure to report it promptly, though it noted the remorse and insight Mr Chinda had shown indicated a low risk of repetition. The SRA said no lasting significant harm had been caused to any third party, but that given the serious nature of the offence some public sanction was required to uphold public confidence in the legal profession.
Mitigation
The SRA said it took into account mitigation put forward by Mr Chinda, including that he co-operated fully with the police and pleaded guilty in court, that no harm was caused to property or persons, and that he expressed remorse and insight into the offence and his failure to report it. Mr Chinda explained he was experiencing issues in his personal life at the time of the offence and afterwards, and said he is taking steps to address these issues and his alcohol consumption, as well as action to ensure he meets his reporting obligations promptly in future.
The agreement
Under the agreement, Mr Chinda is rebuked, agrees to publication of the agreement, and will pay the SRA’s investigation costs of £300 within 28 days of a statement of costs being issued. The SRA said Mr Chinda agrees not to deny the admissions made or act inconsistently with the agreement, warning that doing so could see the conduct considered further and could result in a disciplinary outcome or referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal on the original facts and allegations.