A disgraced barrister's former client has won the right to sue him after he became a pro-Russia TV pundit.

Alexander Mercouris was instructed by beautician Lorna Jamous in 2008 to sue Westminster City Council for compensation after her son was taken into care. Mercouris convinced her to reject a £5,000 settlement, but then told her the offer had been increased to £983,000. He subsequently forged a letter from Baroness Hale, now a Supreme Court Judge, stating that she was concerned the money had not been paid. He then claimed that his brother had stolen the money. And then he said that bogus police officers kidnapped him and brought him before the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, who offered him £50,000 to drop the case. Mercouris was reported to the Bar Standards Board and disbarred.

  With his fondness for incredible conspiracy theories, it was the perfect fit. 

In 2016, Jamous discovered that Mercouris had a new career as a world affairs commentator on pro-Russia outlets including the TV station Russia Today. Jamous sued Mercouris for £200,000, alleging that she and her son were mentally scarred by his treatment of them. Of his reinvention as a pundit*, she said, "It was outrageous, I couldn't believe he was holding himself as an expert on these shows". 

Applying to have the case dismissed, Mercouris' counsel questioned whether Jamous was suffering "acute depression and stress". He argued that Mercouris was simply trying to rebuild his life. But Master Davison, sitting in the Queen's Bench division, ruled that the case could proceed. He said that Jamous had been "suffering as a result of what Mr Mercouris did" since 2008, and that as a consequence of Mercouris' "negligence, or worse than negligence", her son had been denied the psychiatric help he would have received with the council's compensation.

*Mercouris' fair and balanced articles include, "Putin's Billions: Mystery Solved - They Don't Exist", "Despite Recession Russians' Health Continues to Improve", "How Russia Is Bringing Peace to Syria" and "Russia's $3 Billion Eurobond Offering Proves Sanctions Are Pointless".
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Comments

Anonymous 04 July 18 22:25

Yes ! he worked there for 12 years , Apparently many judges and court staff also remember him well . I must however , correct the reporter who wrote this article , Mercouris is not "being sued for becoming a tv pundit " he is being sued as a result of further harm caused to me and my son in 2016 , the time we became aware , he'd conned and fooled everyone ( us included ) at the Bsb hearing when he broke down in tears claiming he was so unwell , after he was struck off . We could all commit crimes then produce a note from our GP claiming " we're not guilty as we weren't well at the time.
Mercouris admitted forging Baroness Hale's signature , bringing the judiciary into dispute and much more .
Justice must and will be done .
Finally , I request that only accurate information is printed regarding myself and son .