Solicitor fined for joking about Paisley

Screenshots from Neil McPherson’s Facebook account were seen by the Law Society of Scotland’s Professional Conduct Sub-Committee. They were sent by complainer Arnon Nachmani.

Mr Nachmani saw the posts in November 2020, eight months after they were first posted. Mr McPherson, 64, said they were fake.

The subcommittee said he had “failed to maintain the standards of behaviour expected of a solicitor by making an insensitive, unprofessional and offensive comment regarding another Facebook member’s trip to Auschwitz, saying that Auschwitz is like Paisley but without the social problems”.

His behaviour also fell below professional standards when said people from Paisley were both “ugly” and also “thick”.

His comments were deemed “antisemitic” and he was ordered to pay compensation by the investigator.

The committee stated: “The complainer has made it clear that, due to his Jewish background and also because he claimed to be born in Paisley, he was deeply offended. While the complainer had not provided evidence of his birthplace or background, the [investigator] accepted that a person of such background was likely to be offended.”

Mr McPherson was ordered to pay £2,000 and £100 to Mr Nachmani.