It was in August 2020 that the woman undertook to be the public defender for the man, who was then suspected of attempted murder. She did so despite the fact that since the spring of that year they had a close personal relationship, which she herself described as a romance.
Only when a prosecutor pointed out the inappropriateness of this did she resign from the assignment.
According to the Bar Association’s disciplinary committee, the woman’s actions meant that she seriously breached the requirements of independence and integrity that are placed on a lawyer, and she was expelled from the association.
The woman appealed to HD, who announced on Wednesday that the decision would stand. The court also considers that the woman violated the requirement of independence and integrity.
“The assignment concerned a case of very serious crime and the lawyer resigned the assignment only after just over a month after a prosecutor pointed out the inappropriateness of her holding it. The Supreme Court assesses that this action and certain other circumstances result in the lawyer being excluded from the Bar Association,” writes HD in a press release.