DISQUALIFIED licensed conveyancer Lloyd Davies did not ‘accurately’ reflect the agreed facts of his case in his public statement about it, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers said last week, in an unusual move.

The regulator said it was commenting ‘in more detail than usual’ on a decision of its independent Adjudication Panel “because it has been the subject of misleading coverage in some parts of the property trade press over the last week or so”.

As reported last week, Mr Davies from Tretire, St Owens Cross and founder of South Wales firm Convey Law– did not tell 302 apprentices and students that his training academy had first had its official approval suspended and then, some months later, removed altogether – and indeed continued to publicise its approval by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, which accredits Council for Licensed Conveyancers courses.

As a result, any work they did for their qualifications from that point was rendered worthless.

Various publications including the Ross Gazette published in full Mr Davies’ statement entitled ‘My apologies to the conveyancing profession’.

In it, he hit out at the “incompetent and draconian actions of both the qualifications authority and the Council for Licensed Conveyancers” and said he agreed to surrender his practising license so as to exonerate the colleague who was prosecuted with him. All charges against her were dropped.

The statement did not actually include an apology to the profession as such. Mr Davies apologised to “the eight students whose CLC courses were delayed as a result of this matter” and two Convey Law directors affected by the trigger event, where a senior member of the academy’s staff had given them exam papers in advance.

In 2023, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers revoked their licences and Mr Davies claimed that its investigation had driven them out of the profession, despite being ‘found innocent’.

He also offered his sincere apologies again to everyone affected by these chronic events.

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers pointed out that the prosecution was settled by agreement between the council and Mr Davies shortly before a seven-day hearing.

“As part of the settlement, the council and Mr Davies agreed the facts of the case. Those agreed facts were not reflected accurately in subsequent press articles that were presented as an apology from Mr Davies to the conveyancing profession,” it said.

“Mr Davies’ actions damaged the education of 302 trainee licensed conveyancers who were working hard to achieve their ambitions to enter the legal profession.

“It brought into disrepute the reputation of the profession of which he was a member and harmed the efforts of so many to increase the numbers of qualified licensed conveyancers.”

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers said that, while it was “regrettable” to have to take such action, “it was necessary to protect the public and client interest”.

It went on: “We are satisfied with the outcome of the case – that Mr Davies was permanently disqualified from being a licensed conveyancer.”