Ernst and Young is to appeal the findings of the Joint Disciplinary Scheme in relation to its handling of audits of Equitable Life An injunction was previously in place to prevent the body from revealing information about its appeal, but the High Court has now lifted the gagging order. The tribunal report will only be published after the appeal case is determined in October this year. A spokesman from E&Y said: 'We cannot comment on the provisional findings of the Joint Disciplinary Tribunal of the ICAEW other than to confirm that we have appealed certain aspects and that the eventual findings of the Appeal Tribunal will be made public in due course'. The Big Four firm had placed an injunction on the JDS in late December 2008 which also involved the gagging of the injunction itself. E&Y added: 'After taking legal advice in December, we sought to keep confidential these provisional findings, when the Executive Committee of the JDS proposed to disclose them to a third party. We have now agreed, through the court, a way forward." The JDS had taken on the case in 2004 when complaints were filed about E&Y's conduct over its Equitable audits. E&Y and Equitable Life came into conflict when the insurance group accused the firm and client service partner Paul McNamara and audit partner Richard Combes on the Equitable audit, for not recognising flaws within in its accounts between 1990 and 2000. In 2000 Equitable had to close for new business after a judgment on a case heard by the House of Lords landed it a £1.5bn fine - leading it to insolvency. E&Y were then being sued for £2bn when Equitable directors blamed the firm for having a hand in its demise. The case was later dropped. The case against Combes has now been terminated due to ill health.