Compliance & Regulation


Solicitor jailed for stealing money using powers of attorney

5 February 2024

A solicitor has been jailed for two years after admitting abusing her position to steal tens of thousands of pounds from two vulnerable people, one of whom was her father.


Legal helpline adviser not under duty to advise prospective client

2 February 2024

A legal helpline adviser at Irwin Mitchell was not under a duty to advise a prospective client of steps she needed to take to protect her position, the Court of Appeal has ruled.


SRA to investigate regulating CILEX paralegals and students

1 February 2024

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to consult on how it would regulate CILEX paralegals and students in the next stage of its work on assuming oversight of the legal executive profession.


Collapsed SSB “faces up to 1,400 negligence claims”

31 January 2024

Consumer claims firm SSB Law, which went into administration earlier this month owing six litigation funders £200m, faces up to 1,400 professional negligence claims, it has emerged.


Nothing “inherently improper” about barristers using generative AI

31 January 2024

There is nothing “inherently improper” about barristers using tools based on generative AI, so long as they are “properly understood” and “used responsibly”, the Bar Council has said.


Solicitor who ‘retained’ but never instructed counsel is struck off

30 January 2024

A solicitor who dishonestly misled his client, his client’s son and the other side about the progress of litigation he was conducting has been struck off.


SRA writes to over 1,000 firms about poor sanctions compliance

30 January 2024

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has written to give guidance to more than 1,000 law firms that admit they do not have basic controls in place to mitigate sanctions risk.


Solicitor who misled firm about client loans and referrals struck off

29 January 2024

A solicitor who actively concealed from his employer the fact that he had taken loans from clients and received referral fees from a short-term lender has been struck off.


Women now make up 40% of Bar as diversity trends continue

29 January 2024

Long-term trends of improving diversity at the Bar continued last year, with women now making up just over 40% of barristers, Bar Standards Board figures have shown.


‘Conflict of interest’ solicitor threatened client with libel action

26 January 2024

A solicitor has been fined for acting for clients in a property dispute knowing they had a possible negligence claim against the firm for causing the litigation in the first place.


Three arrested in raid on “bogus” immigration law firm

26 January 2024

Three suspected fraudulent immigration lawyers have been arrested in Greater Manchester following a Home Office raid on Wednesday.


Legal Ombudsman forced to revise backlog figure upwards – again

25 January 2024

The queue of cases awaiting investigation at the Legal Ombudsman is not falling as fast as had been expected, with the March 2024 target having been revised upwards for a third time.


BSB keeps its powder dry over Post Office barristers

25 January 2024

The Bar Standards Board has yet to see evidence from the Post Office inquiry that requires it to take urgent action against any barrister, it has told Legal Futures.


Axiom Ince review to investigate regulation of ‘accumulator firms’

25 January 2024

The Legal Services Board review of the collapse of Axiom Ince will include not just the role of the Solicitors Regulation Authority but also its approach to law firm consolidators.


SRA hands out another hefty fine for drink-drive conviction

24 January 2024

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has imposed another hefty fine on a solicitor convicted of drink driving as the impact of its new approach to fines hits home.

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Blog


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.


Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?

As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.


What high-performing consumer claims firms get right

Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.