SRA Standards and Regulations

Authority

Deleted

Commencement and application

The Solicitors' Indemnity Rules 1987 as amended from time to time shall be further amended with effect from 1 October 2023 and shall continue in force thereafter in the form annexed hereto in which form they may be known as the SRA Indemnity Fund Rules. The Solicitors' Indemnity (Incorporated Practice) Rules 1991 as amended from time to time shall continue in force only in respect of the...

Appeals to the High Court or Tribunal

Unless otherwise provided in the relevant statute, or rules of the Tribunal, court or of the Legal Services Board, any appeal to the High Court or Tribunal against a decision set out in annex 2 or 3, as appropriate, must be commenced within the period of 28 days from the date of notification of the decision that is subject to appeal.

Complaints information

An authorised body, or an individual practising in the circumstances set out in regulation 10.2(b)(i) to (vii) of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, must publish on its website details of its complaints handling procedure including, details about how and when a complaint can be made to the Legal Ombudsman and to the SRA.

Disclosure and evidential requirements

Subject to rule 6.3 below, on making an application under any of the provisions set out in rule 1.1, you must disclose all matters, wherever they have taken place (including overseas), which are relevant to the SRA's assessment of your character and suitability, including, where practicable, any information set out in Table 4 which is relevant to the matter in question. On making an...

Assessment

When considering your character and suitability, the SRA will take into account the overriding need to: protect the public and the public interest; and maintain public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons. In doing so, the SRA will take into account the nature of your role, and your individual circumstances, on a case by case...

Notices

Any notice under the SRA's regulatory arrangements must be given in writing by delivering it, or sending it by post or by electronic mail, to the recipient's last notified postal or electronic mail address, as appropriate. If the intended recipient of a notice is represented, the notice may instead be given by sending or delivering it to the representative's practising or business address, or...

Execution of transactions

You must ensure that where you have agreed or decided in your discretion to effect a transaction, you must do so as soon as possible, unless you reasonably believe that it is in the client's best interests not to.

Application

The Overseas Rules apply to you: as a regulated individual who is practising overseas, in place of the SRA Principles and the SRA Code of Conduct for Individuals; or as a responsible authorised body in that you must ensure that your overseas practice and the individual managers, members and owners that are involved in the day to day or strategic management of your overseas practice, comply...

Dealings with client money

In all dealings you have with client money (overseas) you must: safeguard client money and assets entrusted to you; keep client money (overseas), separate from money which belongs to you; on receipt, pay client money (overseas) promptly into, and hold it in, an overseas client account, unless: to do so would conflict with your obligations under local law or regulation or with any obligation...