Cook Report barrister clear

A Birmingham barrister has been cleared of professional misconduct charges by a Bar Disciplinary Tribunal after The Cook Report filmed him apparantly advising a client to "bump off" a relative.

But the tribunal criticised Balbir Singh saying that he "had let down his community and his profession by the serious lack of judgement".

Singh, now at Equity Chambers, told the tribunal he was aware something was wrong when he was approached for advice and was just play-acting.

The tribunal ruled that it "appeared" an audio tape used by the TV programme had been edited and the evidence of one Carlton TV representative "was not credible".