A conviction against London Mayor Sadiq Khan for failing to tax a vehicle has been withdrawn, with officials stating he was the victim of a scam involving fraudulent vehicle registrations. The conviction, obtained under the single justice procedure (SJP), related to a 24-year-old Nissan Micra that City Hall asserts does not belong to the mayor or Transport for London (TfL).
The SJP, introduced in 2015, allows single magistrates to process low-level criminal cases in private, a system critics have described as 'conveyor belt justice'. Khan, 55, had been found guilty in his absence by a magistrate in Herefordshire last month of keeping an unlicensed vehicle. The DVLA had brought the prosecution.
The magistrate ordered Khan to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and settle the £35.84 bill for unpaid tax. However, court documents revealed that DVLA correspondence regarding the unpaid tax was sent to Gordon Ramsay’s east London restaurant, rather than the nearby TfL offices.
Following an investigation into the circumstances, DVLA officers concluded that the prosecution should be withdrawn. The DVLA accepted the withdrawal, which was to be formally processed at Hereford Magistrates’ Court. The agency also stated it would investigate the false registration.
A spokesperson for Khan, who became Baron Khan of Tooting in July, confirmed the situation. "This is a scam, which is a crime. It’s not the first time the mayor has been victim of a scam involving people falsely stating that Sadiq is the owner of a vehicle. Such behaviour is illegal, and the DVLA are aware," the spokesperson said.
This incident occurred amidst a period of protest from some motorists regarding Khan’s expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and increased congestion charges. Some drivers had previously vowed to register their vehicles in Khan’s name as a protest against the ULEZ expansion, aiming to make him liable for the daily charge.
The SJP system has faced criticism, including a 2024 instance where around 59,000 train fare evasion convictions were overturned due to being unlawful. Concerns have also been raised about children and individuals with health issues being wrongly convicted under the procedure.
Court records indicated that Khan was prosecuted after the annual tax on the blue Nissan Micra, first registered in 2002, expired in September of the previous year. The DVLA accused Khan of being the vehicle's keeper when it was identified as untaxed on January 24, citing his name and date of birth appearing against the car in official records. The agency stated that a letter requesting owner confirmation in January went unanswered, leading to the criminal proceedings.
Letters from the DVLA were dispatched to 9 Endeavour Square, a location near TfL's offices at 5 Endeavour Square in Stratford, but were sent to a building housing Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. Khan serves as the chair of TfL. Surinder Gidda, sitting at Herefordshire Magistrates’ Court, convicted Khan on August 18 after no plea was entered. The court had also issued a record of conviction to the Gordon Ramsay establishment, ordering Khan to pay the court bill within 28 days or face potential further consequences.
Defendants can typically seek to reopen cases convicted in their absence by making a statutory declaration. In this instance, the DVLA will initiate the process to have the case reopened and withdrawn.