SRA Standards and Regulations

Commencement, revocation, and transitional provisions

Regulations 1.1 to 3.3 come into force on a date to be determined in an order made by the SRA Board. [Note: this date is 1 September 2021] Regulation 4.2 to come into force on a date to be determined in an order made by the SRA Board. Subject to regulations 11.3 to 11.7, regulations 3A.1 to 3F.4 shall be revoked on the date determined in accordance with regulation 11.1. Regulations 3A.1 to...

Practising on your own

Subject to regulation 10.2, if you are a solicitor or an REL you must not act as a sole practitioner unless your practice is authorised as a recognised sole practice. If you otherwise would be, you will not be regarded as acting as a sole practitioner and you will not therefore need to be authorised as a recognised sole practice if: your practice consists entirely of carrying on activities...

Revocation and expiry

The SRA may revoke a practising certificate, or withdraw registration in the register of European lawyers, the register of foreign lawyers and the register of Swiss lawyers at any time, if the SRA is satisfied: that the practising certificate or registration was granted or renewed as a result of error, misleading or inaccurate information, or fraud; that the replacement or renewal date has...

Higher rights of audience

If you are a solicitor or an REL you may exercise civil or criminal advocacy in the higher courts if the SRA is satisfied you have successfully and satisfactorily completed the appropriate higher courts advocacy qualification and that you have done so after the date of your admission as a solicitor or initial registration as an REL, or you are: an REL or lawyer to whom the European Union...

Commencement, replacement, and renewal

The commencement date for a practising certificate or for registration in the register of European lawyers, the register of foreign lawyers or the register of Swiss lawyers shall be the date specified by the SRA on the practising certificate or the register. The replacement date for a practising certificate is 31 October following the issue of the certificate. The renewal date for registration...

Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) Regulations 2023

If you are a Swiss lawyer, you will be eligible for admission as a solicitor under Part 2 of The Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (as amended) if: you satisfy the requirements of those regulations; and the SRA is satisfied as to your character and suitability to be a solicitor.

Retention

If you are a solicitor and you do not hold a practising certificate the SRA will write to you once a year at the last notified version of your postal or email address to ask you whether you wish your name to remain on the roll. If, following an enquiry under regulation 5.4, you wish your name to remain on the roll, you shall be required to pay a fee of £20.

Dispute resolution and proceedings before courts, tribunals and inquiries

You do not misuse or tamper with evidence or attempt to do so. You do not seek to influence the substance of evidence, including generating false evidence or persuading witnesses to change their evidence. You do not provide or offer to provide any benefit to witnesses dependent upon the nature of their evidence or the outcome of the case. You only make assertions or put forward statements,...

Other business requirements

You must not be a manager, employee, member or interest holder of a business that: has a name which includes the word "solicitors"; or describes its work in a way that suggests it is a solicitors' firm; unless it is an authorised body. If you are a solicitor who holds a practising certificate, an REL, RFL or RSL, you must complete and deliver to the SRA an annual return in the prescribed form....

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 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...