News releases

SRA rejects Lord Lofthouse criticisms

20 April 2007

The website of the legal magazine The Lawyer reports this afternoon that Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract, in a report about the handling of miners' health compensation claims, says the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has "supported and defended" solicitors who have double-charged sick miners.

The SRA has not yet seen Lord Lofthouse's report. However, it wishes to emphasise strongly that it has never supported or defended solicitors who have breached their code of conduct. Instead, it has launched a major series of investigations, which has led to the referral of numerous solicitors to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

The SRA's chair, Peter Williamson, said: "There is absolutely no evidence to support the contention the SRA has failed in its duty to deal firmly with solicitors who are guilty of professional misconduct."

"As Lord Lofthouse well knows, we have authorised over 50 investigations, referred 17 law firms to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, won the first two disciplinary cases heard there and enforced compensation awards for two miners in the face of highly contested public proceedings. Solicitors have refunded over £2.5 million in success fees in the face of regulatory action. All of this is despite the fact that solicitors are fiercely defending their position."