Rogue Lawyer

Alan Blacker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

This post examines the rise and fall of Alan Blacker — once a solicitor-advocate known for flamboyant court dress and grand titles — who was struck off, later convicted of benefit fraud, and ultimately disqualified from charity-trusteeship. His trajectory illustrates how questionable credentials and misuse of professional status can lead to serious regulatory and criminal consequences.

The Rogue

Alan Blacker was born in Rochdale in 1972. (Wikipedia) He qualified as a solicitor in 2010. (Wikipedia) He later registered a charity called Joint Armed Forces Legal Advocacy Service (JAFLAS), though it was not connected with the UK armed forces. (Wikipedia) Blacker sometimes styled himself with grandiose titles, most notably “Lord Harley of Counsel”, and publicly presented a lengthy CV listing multiple honours and qualifications beyond standard legal credentials. (AllAboutLaw)

What Happened

The first major public sign of trouble came in August 2014. While representing a defendant in Cardiff Crown Court, Blacker appeared in robe adorned with colourful ribbons, badges and what he claimed were ceremonial medals from voluntary medical service with the charity St John Ambulance. The presiding judge, David Wynn Morgan, criticised the appearance as “something out of Harry Potter”. He warned Blacker that if he appeared again in such attire, he would refuse to hear him. (Legal Cheek) Blacker responded angrily, claiming the rebuke was unjustified and that his professional performance had never been questioned. (Law Gazette)

In the months that followed, press and regulatory scrutiny revealed that many entries on Blacker’s CV — including claimed honours, academic degrees and titles — did not withstand verification. Institutions listed as having awarded him credentials reportedly had no record of him. (AllAboutLaw)

As a result, in 2016 the regulatory body for solicitors, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), brought charges before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). The Tribunal found proven multiple misconducts: misleading about qualifications and accreditations, misusing titles, failing to maintain proper client-money accounts, and failing to cooperate with the regulator. (Wikipedia) Consequently, Blacker was struck off as a solicitor and ordered to pay costs amounting to around £86,000. (Wikipedia)

In 2019 he was convicted of benefit fraud. Investigators found he had falsely claimed substantial disability allowance — despite evidence, including video footage, showing him performing demanding tasks such as operating miniature locomotives. (Wikipedia) In 2020, Blacker received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. (Law Gazette)

Meanwhile, his attempts to re-enter the legal profession were rebuffed. In 2022 he applied to become a member of the professional body Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), but was excluded because he failed to disclose his striking-off, bankruptcy and criminal conviction. (Cilex Regulation)

Further regulatory action followed. In 2024, the charity-regulator Charity Commission concluded that Blacker had continued to exert control over JAFLAS despite being disqualified from charity trusteeship. It found that donations made via the charity’s website had been directed to Blacker’s personal account — potentially misleading donors into believing they were supporting a legitimate charity. As a result, Blacker was disqualified from acting as a trustee for 15 years. (Legal Cheek)

Where Are They Now

As of 2024, JAFLAS has been dissolved and removed from the public register of charities. Blacker remains disqualified from acting as a charity trustee for a 15-year period. (Legal Cheek) He has no licence to practise law and has failed in multiple bids to be readmitted. (Wikipedia) Notwithstanding his history, in June 2024 a pay-to-enter legal-industry awards organisation gave him two “legal service” awards — a development observers have described as undermining the credibility of such awards. (RollOnFriday)

Reflection

Alan Blacker’s story challenges the assumption that external trappings — titles, medals, glossy CVs, charity-founder credentials — provide assurance of professionalism or integrity. His case illustrates how regulatory frameworks and ethical standards are essential in policing legal practice. When those are circumvented, the consequences may ultimately be severe: loss of licence, criminal conviction, public disrepute and long-term professional exclusion.

Footnotes

  1. Blacker qualified as a solicitor in 2010. (Wikipedia)
  2. The “Harry Potter” court incident involving “Lord Harley” robes and judge’s criticism. (Legal Cheek)
  3. Investigation revealing invalidity of many claimed qualifications and awards. (AllAboutLaw)
  4. SDT findings and strike-off in 2016 due to misconduct. (Wikipedia)
  5. Benefit-fraud conviction and suspended sentence in 2020. (Law Gazette)
  6. Exclusion from CILEx for failing to disclose prior misconduct and conviction. (Cilex Regulation)
  7. Charity-regulator disqualification of Blacker from trusteeship for 15 years and dissolution of JAFLAS. (Legal Cheek)