Compliance & Regulation
“Ground down” veteran barrister fined for direct access offences
A veteran barrister has been fined £4,250 by a Bar disciplinary tribunal for carrying out litigation without authorisation and handling client money on behalf of a direct access client.
Conveyancing firms “must apply” for PII two months before deadline
Firms of licensed conveyancers will have to apply for professional indemnity insurance two months ahead of the renewal deadline and in return will receive a response within four weeks.
Mayson: Legal regulation failing to prevent consumer harm
Legal regulation is not protecting consumers from harm – both in their inability to access services and when things go wrong – meaning structural reform is more urgent than ever.
Personal injury ABS bosses fined for undeclared ATE commissions
Two managers of a collapsed personal injury law firm have each been fined £18,000 for failing to declare commissions earned by a connected business which provided clients with ATE insurance.
Sophie Khan to face 11 charges at disciplinary tribunal
Details of the disciplinary case the Solicitors Regulation Authority will make against Sophie Khan – who was jailed for contempt after failing to give it her firm’s papers – were published yesterday.
Solicitor struck off for lying about existence of key evidence
A solicitor specialising in actions against the police who failed to disclose the existence of a warrant to counsel and the court has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Barrister with council tax conviction fails in disbarment appeal
The High Court has rejected an appeal from a barrister disbarred after a council tax conviction and submission of dishonest evidence to a Crown Court.
Lack of accountability “damages authority” of in-house lawyers
The decision by the Financial Conduct Authority to exclude in-house lawyers from its senior managers and certification regime has damaged the authority they have in their organisations.
LSB calls for “urgency” in improving consumer information
The Legal Services Board has said it expects to see “a sense of pace and urgency” from regulators in improving the flow of information to consumers to help them choose a lawyer.
The SIF lives on – SRA gives fund yet another stay of execution
The Solicitors Indemnity Fund – which was first due to close in 2017 – has been given another stay of execution and will now go on to September 2023, a year later than the SRA had planned.
SDT fines veteran solicitor for multiple accounts rules breaches
A veteran solicitor whose carelessness and ignorance of the accounts rules led to multiple breaches has been fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
SRA decides against retrial of junior solicitor who left case on train
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has ended proceedings against the junior solicitor initially struck off after she left confidential documents on a train.
Barrister’s treatment of more junior opponent “verged on bullying”
The behaviour of the barrister who called her more junior opponent a liar before an employment tribunal and mimicked her voice verged on bullying, a disciplinary panel has decided.
Law Society looks to boost income by £8.4m through PC fee rises
The Law Society is planning to increase the cost of practising to boost its income by £8.4m over the next three years as it bids to make itself “indispensable” to members.
House of Lords ratchets up pressure on SRA over SLAPPs
Peers have asked the Solicitors Regulation Authority whether it plans to reopen complaints about law firms involved in strategic lawsuits against public participation.
Blog
Our vision for 2026: A shared approach to AML
We want to see law firms start taking AML compliance as seriously as it deserves. This means treating it not as a tick-box exercise or a procedural necessity, but as a serious part of company culture.
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
