In 2009, the NMC Professional Conduct Committee began its own investigation into whether the manager and deputy managers of Lynde House – Sarah Johnson and Lynette Maggs – were guilty of professional misconduct and negligence in relation to the earlier accusations of poor care at the residential home. In December 2011, the committee ruled that they were guilty of misconduct. While it decided not to take any formal sanctions such as registration penalties, in part due to the time elapsed since the original allegations were made, Johnson and Maggs were nevertheless left with a misconduct ruling against their names, and decided to appeal against the decision at the High Court by way of judicial review.