A controversial human rights lawyer who brought murder and torture claims against British Iraq War veterans has been struck off.
Solicitor Phil Shiner claimed in 2008 that the British Army had unlawfully killed, tortured and mistreated Iraqi civilians during a battle four years previously.
But he has now had 12 charges of misconduct found proved against him by a panel of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal - five of which for dishonesty.
Mr Shiner, who worked for the now-defunct Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), previously admitted nine allegations of acting without integrity. This included making "unsolicited direct approaches" to potential clients.
He did not attend the hearing, having written to the tribunal to say he was unwell and could not afford to pay for a defence lawyer.
The tribunal heard in December the lawyer accepted he would be struck off the roll of solicitors as a result of the case, thought to be one of the most expensive ever brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Nicola Lucking, chairwoman of the panel, said: "We have come to the conclusion the appropriate sanction is a strike off."
The hearing finished earlier than expected as a result of Mr Shiner's absence and Andrew Tabachnik, representing the SRA, accused him of being "in a state of avoidance" to prevent proceedings from going ahead in full.
The tribunal heard the effects of his involvement on British military personnel in "cold-calling" the family members of alleged Iraqi victims.
Army Colonel James Coote, who was a major stationed in Basra, said the false claims made against British troops at the Battle of Danny Boy in 2004 had been "extremely stressful and demoralising".
Mr Shiner had admitted acting recklessly by claiming at a press conference in February 2008 that the British Army had unlawfully killed, tortured and mistreated Iraqi civilians during the Iraq War battle.
Mr Shiner agreed to pay Abu Jamal, named only as "Z" in SRA papers, thousands of pounds for referrals in the Al Sweady enquiry, which is prohibited.
As a team leader at PIL, Mr Shiner authorised and procured payments and fee-sharing agreements with the agent between 2007 and 2010.
One of those payments was for £25,000 on March 30 2009, which he admitted but had denied related to a publicly funded case as the SRA alleged.
