News

Chief Executive sets out how we intend to rebuild trust

22 April 2026

Rebuilding trust in a challenging environment

SRA Chief Executive, Sarah Rapson

We need to change to regain the trust of solicitors, law firms and the wider public. That was the clear message I've heard in the many conversations I've had since joining the SRA as Chief Executive. 

I am proud to lead the organisation and I have been impressed by the commitment and capability of our people. At the same time, it is clear that we are operating in an increasingly challenging environment and in too many areas the organisation is falling short of what the public and the sector deserve. 

Good regulation depends on trust between a regulator and the people it regulates. The SRA is no different. To do our job of protecting the public and supporting the sector effectively, solicitors need to trust that we understand the challenges they face and have a credible plan for the future.
 
In the latest step to rebuilding that trust, I attended the Law Society's Council meeting in March to set out the SRA's priorities for 2026.

Acting on feedback  

In developing these plans, we were guided by the clear feedback of solicitors, but also the people that rely on the invaluable services that this profession provides.

Put simply, we have not been getting enough of the basics of good regulation right. Slow investigations and delayed casework are the clearest signs of this.

Stakeholders have told us that our approach has been too reactive, relying on enforcement after the fact rather than addressing risks before they cause harm. And there is a clear view that we have not focused enough on the biggest issues, such as high-volume consumer claims, which present significant risks to the public. 

These concerns go to the heart of whether the SRA is performing as it should. They come at a time when the sector, and the demands placed on us, are evolving. Reports about solicitors have risen sharply, putting real pressure on our resources. 

Embracing change  

Carrying on as usual is neither realistic nor sustainable. We need to evolve to realise our ambition of becoming a modern, proportionate regulator that is trusted and effective. 

That ambition translates into four priorities for 2026, putting us in a stronger position to work with the sector on a new long-term plan from 2027.

The first is getting the basics right through a focus on operational excellence. This is not glamorous, but it is essential. Inconsistent delivery, most obviously in slow casework, undermines our effectiveness. 

We are therefore undertaking a full review of how cases move through the organisation. That includes reviewing the application of our assessment threshold test, improving quality assurance in triage and investigations, and developing alternatives to full investigation through a new supervision pilot.  

Alongside this, we are strengthening leadership capacity and embedding a stronger performance culture so staff are better equipped and supported to address issues. This will help the SRA become more accountable, timely and consistent in how it operates. 

The second priority is proactive risk identification. Failures such as Axiom Ince and SSB have shown the cost of spotting problems too late. Prevention will always be more effective than intervening after the fact. If we wait until harm has crystallised, consumers lose out, confidence suffers, and we are forced to rely on enforcement. 

That is why we are rolling out a law firm profiler tool across the organisation to provide a more coherent view of firm-level risk. We are launching new rapid and strategic risk assessment processes in parallel to improve our understanding of the rapidly evolving challenges in the market. We will also explore new tools and techniques to reduce harm through an intensive supervision pilot. 

The third priority is focusing on the biggest issues. An effective regulator must concentrate its time, expertise and resources on the matters that have the greatest impact on the public and the profession. 

High-volume consumer claims are a good example of an area where these risks are readily apparent. Where firms have deliberately broken the rules, we are taking decisive action. However, enforcement alone is not enough. We also need practical measures that help firms comply, including clearer guidance and more direct supervisory engagement.

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination is another major priority. It is encouraging that the SQE is helping to provide a consistent standard and improve diversity in the sector, but we also need to improve candidate experience and increase confidence in its operation.  

Finally, the fourth priority is improving collaboration and engagement. One of the clearest messages from the profession has been that the SRA has not always seemed sufficiently aware of the practical challenges solicitors and consumers face. Earlier engagement and clearer communication with all stakeholders will help us solve problems more effectively before enforcement becomes the only option. 

This will require more visible engagement from me and the senior leadership team, a stronger stakeholder and communications approach, and greater transparency about the reasons behind our regulatory decisions, as we did recently with PM Law.
 
It will also require us to work carefully and sensitively with the profession on a new professional ethics framework that supports solicitors to do the right thing. We want the profession to feel that the regulator is an ally with a shared interest in their success.

Rebuilding trust

It was crystal clear from the conversations I had at the Law Society's Council meeting that both the SRA and solicitors across England and Wales have many shared goals.  

None of us want to see law firms failing, legal professionals losing their jobs, or consumers being harmed. We all want a thriving legal sector that serves the public well.

I have no illusions about the scale of the change needed at the SRA. We cannot deliver these reforms alone. Only with the support of the legal profession, other regulators and public bodies, and those representing consumer interests will we be able to build the regulator that the public and solicitors deserve.