The SRA Handbook is no longer in effect. It was replaced by the SRA Standards and Regulations on 25 November 2019.

SRA Handbook

Resources: Interpretation

Follow the links below for resources related to the SRA Handbook. The material does not form part of the SRA Handbook, and you will exit the Handbook if you click on any of the links listed below.

Please use the Back button in your browser to return to this page.

Help

Ethics FAQs

Question of ethics

Topic-based ethics guidance

Compliance with Principle 5

Principle 5 states that you must provide a proper standard of service to your clients. For solicitors, an integral part of complying with the requirement to provide a proper standard of service is meeting the competencies set out in the Competence Statement.

Compliance with Principle 9

The requirements

Principle 9, one of the SRA Handbook Principles, requires regulated firms and individuals to "run [your] business or carry out [your] role in the business in a way that encourages equality of opportunity and respect for diversity".

Principle 9 is supported by chapter 2 of the Code of Conduct, which sets out the equality and diversity outcomes and indicative behaviours for regulated firms and individuals.

Thematic supervision review of compliance

We conducted a thematic supervision review of compliance with Principle 9, and the report was published in April 2013: Thematic study of compliance with Principle 9: Encouraging equality of opportunity and respect for diversity, April 2013 (PDF 31 pages, 521K).

Regulating compliance with Principle 9

We are making plans to monitor the incidence of reports involving Principal 9 as recommended by the thematic supervision report of compliance with Principle 9.

We reviewed the incidence of reports received under the old rules, Rule 6 of the Conduct of Conduct 2007: Rule 6 - discrimination reports to the SRA in 2010.

Archive

Rules and regulations in force before 6 October 2011