News Update

Nick Maclean OBE RD FRICS has, temporarily, become Acting President of RICS. This follows the involvement of Justin Sullivan FRICS as an expert witness in High Court proceedings in the case of Iya Patarkatsishvili & Anor v William Woodward-Fisher, about which he has referred the matter to the Standards and Regulation Board’s regulatory team.

Nick will bring his 30 years of experience at CBRE including being Chair of CBRE Middle East and North Africa Region and seven years as a Scottish Trade Envoy. He has also been an active member of RICS for over 20 years having served on and chaired Governing Council. 

We will provide more information on this matter to our members as soon as possible.

The RICS Regulation team is currently reviewing the involvement of Justin Sullivan FRICS as an expert witness in the case of Iya Patarkatsishvili & Anor v William Woodward-Fisher.

Last week, RICS President Justin Sullivan FRICS requested an independent regulatory review following media coverage and commentary on the judgment issued on 10 February 2025. In addition, RICS has received several inquiries from members regarding the judgment.

As the matter is subject to RICS’ independent regulatory processes, we are unable to comment further until these processes are completed. However, we can confirm that the regulatory team has already begun its independent assessment, following standard procedures.

What the Review involves

 The assessment process includes:

• Reviewing publicly available information and any relevant evidence obtained through ongoing inquiries.
• Evaluating the context and wider circumstances of the matter to determine whether further regulatory action is necessary.

If sufficient evidence suggests further action is required, the regulatory team may open a formal investigation in line with RICS’ regulatory framework.

RICS remains committed to handling this review independently, objectively, and with due diligence. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.

You may be aware of some commentary that has appeared in the UK press and social media over the past few days around Justin Sullivan’s work as an Expert Witness.

As a result of this interest, we have issued the following press statement: “Justin Sullivan denies any wrongdoing. The litigation process in which expert witnesses are involved can at times be adversarial and challenging for members to navigate. Mr Sullivan has confirmed that he acted as an independent expert witness in this case in accordance with Ministry of Justice CPR Part 35 which sets out expert witnesses duties, and RICS Surveyors expert witnesses 4th edition amended February 2023 rules, which sets surveyors’ professional standards. To ensure all standards were followed he has asked the RICS independently-led regulator to assess the case.”

You can read the Approved Judgement here: Iya Patarkatsishvili & Anor v William Woodward-Fisher - Find Case Law - The National Archives

For ease, Justin is referenced in the following paragraphs: 34, 52, 280, 283, 286-290, 297, 300-303, 305, 309.

We will update you once the assessment has been completed.