Revocation of a recognised body's recognition
If you are a recognised body, in specified circumstances, we may revoke your recognition. We may do this under the following circumstances:
- We granted recognition as a result of error or fraud
- You would not now be eligible for initial recognition
- Your renewal date has passed and we have not received your renewal application
- You have a temporary emergency recognition and have not started a substantive application within the required period
- You have ceased to practise
- We have deferred renewal because we are not satisfied renewal is in the public interest, or
- Insolvency has occurred but has not triggered expiry (see regulation 12.7 of the SRA Recognised Bodies Regulations 2011).
Your recognition will expire automatically if you are wound up or cease to exist.
Notification of our decision
We are required to give you 28 days' written notice, with reasons, of our decision.
Revocation of recognition takes effect on the expiry of our notice to you, unless we specify a later date.
If we consider it in the public interest, we may notify specified third parties of our decision (see regulation 19 of the SRA Recognised Bodies Regulations 2011).
We may decide to reconsider a decision made by us in specified circumstances (see regulation 18 of the SRA Recognised Bodies Regulations 2011).
Appealing our decision
Effect of an appeal
If you appeal before revocation takes effect, unless we consider
- you have unduly protracted your appeal, or
- you are unlikely to succeed
our decision to revoke is suspended pending the appeal decision or discontinuance of the appeal.
How to appeal
You may appeal to us against our decision. You must do so with 28 days of days of receipt of our notice with reasons. Your appeal must state clearly the reasons for your disagreement with our decision.
On appeal we may vary the first-instance decision. An appeal may improve or worsen the position from your point of view.
If you remain unhappy with the appeal decision, you may appeal to the High Court (see regulation 9.3 of the SRA Recognised Bodies Regulations 2011).
Appeal to the High Court
Before appealing to the High Court you must first have invoked our internal appeal process. The Civil Procedure Rules provide that you can appeal to the High Court within 21 days from the date of the decision, unless the decision directs a different appeal period.
On appeal, the High Court may make such order as it thinks fit as to the payment of costs.
The decision of the High Court shall be final.