SRA Standards and Regulations

Criminal conduct

The SRA will consider criminal conduct when assessing your character and suitability, in accordance with Table 1 below, subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) 1975 and bearing in mind the public interest in supporting the rehabilitation of offenders. For the avoidance of doubt, Table 1 is a non-exhaustive list. Table...

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...

Education, Training and Assessment providers

As set out in the SRA Education, Training and Assessment Provider Regulations: A decision made under regulation 1.4(b) or 2.3(b) to refuse to grant approved education provider, authorised education provider or authorised training provider status. A decision made under regulation 1.4(a) or 2.3(a) to grant the application for approval or authorisation subject to such conditions and for such...

Information return and notification events

An authorised body must complete and deliver to the SRA an annual return by the date and in the form prescribed.

Service and competence

You only act for clients on instructions from the client, or from someone properly authorised to provide instructions on their behalf. If you have reason to suspect that the instructions do not represent your client's wishes, you do not act unless you have satisfied yourself that they do. However, in circumstances where you have legal authority to act notwithstanding that it is not possible to...

Conflict of interests

You do not act if there is an own interest conflict or a significant risk of such a conflict. You do not act in relation to a matter or a particular aspect of it if you have a conflict of interest or a significant risk of such a conflict in relation to that matter or aspect of it, unless: the clients have a substantially common interest in relation to the matter or the aspect of it, as...

Operation of joint accounts

If, when acting in a client's matter, you hold or receive money jointly with the client or a third party, Part 2 of these rules does not apply save for: rule 8.2 - statements from banks, building societies and other financial institutions; rule 8.4 - bills and notifications of costs.

Authority

These Rules are made on 22 June 2012 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Board under sections 37, 79 and 80 of the Solicitors Act 1974, section 9 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985, and paragraph 19 of Schedule 11 to the Legal Services Act 2007, with the approval of the Legal Services Board under paragraph 19 of Schedule 4 to the Legal Services Act 2007.

Status disclosure

Notwithstanding the wider information obligations in the SRA Codes of Conduct, you must give the client the following information in writing in a manner that is clear, fair and not misleading before providing a service which includes the carrying on of a regulated financial services activity and in good time before the conclusion of a contract of insurance: a statement that you are not...

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.