Thomas Davidson, who has practised for more than 50 years, was found by the Bar Standards Board to have “behaved in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession”.

A panel of three found that he had committed professional misconduct and fell foul of the code of conduct for barristers.

He was fined £250 over the incident which took place at Salisbury Magistrates Court last February and was ordered to pay costs of £1,750.

A summary of the decision on the BSB website states: “Following the conclusion of a trial during which he had represented a defendant before a bench consisting of three lay magistrates, and after the chairperson raised with him the issue of his having used a German accent during the proceedings and telling him that this conduct had been inappropriate, Mr Davidson looked at the bench and said ‘Jawohl’ at the same time as raising a hand in a Nazi salute, which conduct was seriously offensive and discreditable.”

Jawohl means “yes, indeed” or “yes, sir” in German and has military connotations. Mr Davidson has 21 days to appeal the decision.