Compliance & Regulation
“Credible sanctions”: Bill to remove SRA fining cap for economic crime
Plans to remove the £25,000 cap on fines the Solicitors Regulation Authority can impose in cases of economic crime will enable it to sanction larger law firms properly, the government said.
BSB to test if review and comparison websites work for barristers
Four lawyer review and comparison websites have agreed to join a Bar Standards Board (BSB) pilot on whether they can work for barristers and their consumers.
SRA bans IT worker convicted of stealing hardware from law firm
An IT engineer with a serious gambling problem who stole 38 iPhones and 10 laptops worth £23,000 from a law firm has been banned from working in the profession.
Barrister “could and should” have stopped offensive tweets being sent
A barrister reprimanded for allowing a Twitter account to send “inappropriate and offensive” tweets to a colleague at the same chambers was not their author, a tribunal has confirmed.
SDT slams Khan’s “reprehensible” claim that jailing was good for profession
The SDT has labelled as “reprehensible” the argument by Sophie Khan that being jailed for contempt of court enhanced, rather than diminished, the reputation of the profession.
Solicitor struck off for parental consent affidavit deception
A solicitor who confirmed that two affidavits had been signed and sworn in her presence, when they had not been, has been struck off.
SRA rejects legal press request to reopen board meetings to scrutiny
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has rejected a request from Legal Futures and the Law Society Gazette to return to opening its board meetings to the public and press.
Lawyers should have “ethical obligation” to advise on climate risks
Lawyers should be ethically obliged to advise clients of the serious risks – legal or otherwise – of pursuing activities that risk exacerbating climate change.
BSB to use ‘marginalised by race’ as way to describe minority groups
The Bar Standards Board is to encourage those it regulates to use terms like ‘racially minoritised’ and ‘marginalised by race’ if they have to use collective language to describe ethnicity.
SRA to replace Solicitors Indemnity Fund with in-house scheme
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to replace the Solicitors Indemnity Fund next September with new indemnity arrangements that it will run itself.
SRA: Sudden spike in number of law firms facing financial difficulties
There has been a sudden spike in the number of law firms of all sizes reporting to the Solicitors Regulation Authority that they are facing financial problems, it has emerged.
Unbundling has potential to improve access to justice – and clients
Unbundling has the potential to increase access to justice and help firms attract new clients, but awareness among lawyers and consumers is low, research by the SRA has found.
LawCare urges SRA to consider wellbeing of those facing disciplinary action
The SRA needs to have “far greater regard” for the wellbeing of those facing disciplinary action when deciding what to publish about them, LawCare has argued.
Barrister reprimanded for “offensive” tweets aimed at colleague
A barrister has been reprimanded for allowing a Twitter account with which he was associated to send “inappropriate and offensive” tweets to a colleague at the same chambers.
A fifth of female solicitors promoted after maternity leave
A fifth of female solicitors were promoted into a new role by their law firms during or after maternity leave, but a similar proportion “felt unwelcome” on their return, a major study has found.












