A complaint about an alleged relationship between two opposing barristers at the Leveson inquiry has been dismissed by a legal regulatory body.
The Bar Standards Board announced that complaints of professional misconduct involving David Sherborne and Catrine Patry Hoskins had “no realistic prospect” of succeeding.
Sherborne represented the victims of phone-hacking while Party Hoskins worked for the inquiry.
The pair went on holiday together to the Greek island of Santorini just days after the inquiry concluded its public hearings but before the report was published.
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As a result, Brian Leveson was forced to deny suggestions that his report had been tainted by the barristers’ friendship.
An official complaint was made to the Bar Standards Board by Tory MP Rob Wilson who asked whether the relationship had been a code of conduct breach.
However, a spokesperson for the Bar Standards Board said: “The complaints about Mr David Sherborne and Ms Carine Patry were considered by the Bar Standards Board's Professional Conduct Committee following an investigation.
"The committee concluded that there was no realistic prospect that a Disciplinary Tribunal would make a finding of professional misconduct in relation to any of the aspects of complaint and the complaints were dismissed.
"We do not normally comment on individual cases unless a Disciplinary Tribunal has been scheduled. However, on this occasion, as so much information is already in the public domain it is clearly in the public interest to make this statement."
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