Neena Patel v Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors

Facts

The appellant, Neena Patel, was first entered on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors on 12 March 2024. On 5 September 2025 she committed an offence of exceeding the statutory speed limit (SP30), driving at 51mph on a 30mph road very close to her home with which she was familiar. On 7 January 2026 she accepted a fixed penalty notice and was convicted, receiving six penalty points and a £200 fine. The DVLA notified the respondent, the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors, who wrote to her on 14 January 2026 giving notice that he was considering removing her name from the Register; she made representations on 19 January 2026 and 3 February 2026. On 12 February 2026 the respondent decided her name should be removed, though not with immediate effect, on the basis that she had received six penalty points and had failed to notify him of the conviction within seven days as required, and had accordingly ceased to be a fit and proper person. The appellant appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber), contending that mitigating circumstances — difficult personal circumstances, the isolated and uncharacteristic nature of the incident, her previously exemplary record, steps taken since to improve safety, and the disproportionality of removal — meant she remained a fit and proper person.