Publication policy
Publication policy
We may publish our regulatory decisions. Our policy statement on publication of regulatory and disciplinary decisions (PDF 68K) applies to
- investigations started on or after 1 January 2008; and
- decisions to prosecute a solicitor before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT)—where, on or after 1 January 2008, the SDT has certified that there is a case to answer.
Our decisions may be challenged by appeals or judicial review. If you wish to rely on them for formal purposes, you can contact us to check that they remain valid. We generally only publish a decision after the expiry of an appeal period; most published decisions will be removed from our website after three years.
Please read references to "solicitor" below as including registered European lawyers and registered foreign lawyers.
Types of published decision
When we decide a solicitor has broken a rule, the consequences for the solicitor depend upon the seriousness of the breach and the likelihood of the solicitor doing it again.
When deciding on the consequences, we use a range of regulatory outcomes. These outcomes relate to the gravity of the breach. We do not publish all types of decision.
The decisions we publish include
- decisions to prosecute at the SDT,
- decisions to control how a solicitor practises,
- decisions to close a practice,
- agreed outcomes with solicitors.
Learn more about our decision making.
Search for decisions
You can search for decisions that we have published from January 2008 onward. In order to search, you need the name of a solicitor or their SRA ID number.
The search facility is not a database of all solicitors in England and Wales. To check whether an individual is a solicitor, please visit Find a solicitor or contact us.
For a complete list of solicitors about whom we have published decisions, go to Published decisions A–Z. You can also consult a list of our most-recently published decisions.
Regulatory outcomes
When we decide a solicitor has broken a rule, the outcome depends on the seriousness of the breach and the likelihood of the solicitor doing it again.
In some cases, we will either
- advise the solicitor about their conduct, or
- warn the solicitor about their future conduct.
In other cases, we can
- impose a disciplinary sanction, and/or
- control how a solicitor can practise, and/or
- refer the solicitor's conduct to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, and/or
- close the practice of the solicitor, or
- enter into an agreement with a solicitor. Agreements are regulatory decisions made by us, the terms of which are accepted by the solicitor. They are not the equivalent of settlement of a commercial dispute.
Disciplinary sanctions
If we find that a solicitor has broken a rule of conduct, the consequences for the solicitor depend upon the seriousness of the breach and the likelihood of the solicitor breaking the rule again. When deciding on the consequences, we use a range of regulatory outcomes. These outcomes relate to the gravity of the breach.
In some cases, we impose disciplinary sanctions. These sanctions amount either to a reprimand of the solicitor or to a severe reprimand. These sanctions remain on the solicitor's record for a period of at least five years.
In some cases, we do not make a final decision but refer the solicitor's alleged misconduct to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). We are responsible for prosecuting the solicitor before the SDT.
Viewing decisions
We generally publish a decision only after the expiry of an appeal period; most published decisions will be removed from our website after three years.
Warning
There are some important factors you should understand when viewing our decisions. Therefore, decisions should be read along with the specific information we provide about the types of decision we publish.
Our decisions may be challenged by appeals or by judicial review. If you wish to rely on them for formal purposes, you can contact us to check that they remain valid.
Searching
Enter the name of a solicitor inside quotation marks in the format "Shakespeare, William" and/or their SRA ID number. If you enter your search terms in any other format, the results may not match the name you are searching for.
For a complete list of solicitors about whom we have published decisions, go to Published decisions A–Z. You can also consult a list of our most-recently published decisions.