Latest news releases

11 December 2018

Artificial intelligence (AI) will free up solicitors from lower-level work to carry out more complex tasks, a new report concludes.

7 December 2018

We have launched a public consultation on potential changes to rules regarding how non-UK solicitors will qualify in England and Wales in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

6 December 2018

A new digital badge that responds to the public’s demand for better information on the protections people get from using a regulated law firm has been launched.

27 November 2018

Solicitors have been reminded to adhere to all their professional obligations when engaged in litigation, and not to become “hired guns” just carrying out instructions that are in the best interests of clients.

8 November 2018

The new assessment to ensure consistent, high standards for qualifying solicitors - the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) - will be introduced in autumn 2021, with the candidate fee likely to range between £3,000 - £4,500.

5 November 2018

New transparency rules, requiring regulated firms to publish price and service information on their websites, are to come into effect on 6 December 2018.

12 October 2018

The Government has published a technical notice - Providing services including those of a qualified professional if there’s no Brexit deal - which covers how professions and services will be regulated if there is no deal.

3 October 2018

We are supporting research being carried out by The Institute for Criminal Policy Research (ICPR) into how professionals such as solicitors can inadvertently help money launderers.

2 October 2018

Proactively publishing prices debunks misconceptions over the cost of using a solicitor compared to other professions offering similar services, new research published today has found.

2 October 2018

Ahead of the introduction of new price transparency requirements within the legal sector, we have issued guidance on what price and service information firms must publish on their websites from this December.

1 October 2018

We have published our rules for dealing with the new Insurance Distribution Directive.

4 September 2018

Solicitors have been urged to make sure that the credentials of people approaching their firm to offer business expansion are genuine.

3 September 2018

Solicitors have been urged to check the HM Treasury frozen assets review to make sure they are not holding monies belonging to a client that is subject to financial sanctions.

28 August 2018

We are carrying out a survey to develop a better understanding of how firms and solicitors have responded to the legislative changes set out in the Government’s new money laundering regulations.

28 August 2018

With a year to go until the deadline for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation claims to be submitted, law firms have been reminded to make sure any applications they work are handled properly.

9 August 2018

Solicitors have been reminded of their responsibilities when handling holiday sickness claims.

6 August 2018

We have restated our warning to law firms that they should not provide banking facilities through a client account to their clients or others, while providing further detail on how our rules apply in practice.

2 August 2018

We have launched a public consultation on proposed changes to our rules regarding firms reporting potential misconduct.

1 August 2018

We have appointed Kaplan as the assessment organisation to develop and run the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

25 July 2018

We have announced that Anna Bradley will succeed Enid Rowlands as the new Chair of the SRA Board, with effect from 1 January 2019.

25 July 2018

The risks posed to the public and law firms from money laundering, cybercrime and dubious investment schemes have all reached record levels, according to new statistics.

5 July 2018

We have had our approach to dealing with the new European Insurance Distribution Directive approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Legal Services Board (LSB).

27 June 2018

Barristers and solicitor advocates representing clients in criminal courts are generally delivering a competent service to the public, two reports released today have found.

20 June 2018

With the introduction of a new 20 percent cap due on 10 July, law firms have been reminded that when handling claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) they must make sure they are acting in their client’s best interests and charging clients appropriately.  

14 June 2018

Law firms must publish information on the prices they charge for certain public-facing services and also display a new badge showing the protections their regulated status gives customers, under new measures we have confirmed.

14 June 2018

We have finalised the package of reforms designed to provide solicitors and law firms with greater flexibility over how they operate, making legal services more accessible to the public.

12 June 2018

We have set the level of contributions to the Compensation Fund for 2018/19. Contributions for solicitors will increase by £50 - from £40 to £90. Firm contributions will increase by £902, from £778 to £1,680.

24 May 2018

Research has shown that since the removal of the minimum trainee salary, trainee numbers have increased and they are more positive about their salaries, even though average trainee salaries have dropped.

9 May 2018

The number of accountants' reports being submitted for review to us has fallen by two-thirds since changes to the rules were introduced.

27 April 2018

We have begun the search for a new Chair of the Board to oversee its work protecting the public and maintaining high professional standards.

24 April 2018

We have set out the details of our work to protect the public and maintain high professional standards in our latest Annual Review.

12 April 2018

We will go ahead with plans to make it easier for law firms to develop new ideas, including a ‘safe space’ for innovation.

5 April 2018

Ahead of the Government's introduction of a PPI fee cap, we have re-iterated our call for law firms to consider how much they charge in this area.

27 March 2018

Responding to the Legal Services Board's approval of the framework for changes to how solicitors are admitted to the profession, employers and education suppliers are being urged to push ahead with their preparations for the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination(SQE).

23 March 2018

We have today published proposals designed to make sure users of legal services get the appropriate level of protection, and in turn benefit from a more competitive marketplace and increased choice. The proposed changes would see the removal of the current ‘one-size-fits-all’ rules on professional indemnity insurance (PII), meaning firms could take out cover that better reflects the work they do.

20 March 2018

On 26 February 2018, the Central Bank of Ireland (Central Bank) announced that CBL Insurance Europe dac (CBLIE) had been placed into provisional administration.

16 March 2018

While most customers (76%) are satisfied with the legal services they receive when buying or selling a property, there are concerns over the quality and timeliness of information being provided to them during the process.

12 March 2018

We have warned law firms that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) should not be used to prevent the reporting of professional misconduct.

2 March 2018

Our review of 50 firms has shown that although most law firms are doing what is needed to tackle money laundering, some need to do more.

23 February 2018

Solicitors will not need to comply with the new European Insurance Distribution Directive until later this year, we have confirmed.

14 February 2018

Data published today reveals that while the overall legal sector is increasingly reflective of wider society, challenges remain in achieving true diversity at senior levels in some firms. Based on information from 180,000 people working at 9,000 law firms across England and Wales, our data shows that diversity in the sector continues to improve.

25 January 2018

The majority of solicitors do not advertise prices, despite evidence that customers are willing to shop around, and are more likely to make 'good financial decisions' when prices are more readily available.

22 January 2018

New anti-money-laundering regulations introduced by the Government mean that we require comprehensive information from law firms about people working in certain roles.

11 January 2018

A customer-focussed managing director with wide-ranging retail sector experience has been named as our new lay Board member.