Ensuring continuing competence in the solicitor profession
Staying up to date and competent through their careers is an important part of providing high quality legal services to those who need them. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published the actions it will be taking to make sure that solicitors comply with their responsibilities. Its plan is in response to the Legal Services […]
Less than a week left to register with Companies House before ROE deadline
The Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) came into force on 1st August 2022 and requires all entities in scope to register with Companies House before the deadline of 31st January 2023. Overseas entities must declare their beneficial owners and/or managing officers on time to avoid prosecution or civil financial penalties. Overseas entities that fail to […]
OPG ends death certificate requirement for verification of death
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has done away with the requirement to send in a death certificate following notification that somebody has died, it announced this week. Moving forwards, deaths will be verified using the Passport Office (HMPO) Life Event Verification system. This system, which the OPG says is a “safe and efficient […]
Legal regulators need to work on building trust with their communities, CLC event told
Legal regulators can reduce the amount of enforcement work they need to undertake if they can build enough trust that lawyers will approach them before things go wrong, an event hosted by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has heard. Speaking on how much legal regulation can be about prevention rather than enforcement, Sarah Debney […]
SRA stamps down on firms not complying with transparency rules
SRA rejects claims that guidance is too complicated to follow The Solicitors Regulations Authority (SRA) have announced they will be clamping down on firms who are not complying with transparency rules. The SRA are reviewing firms to see if they are supplying clients with price and service information, such as their employees’ credentials, and also […]
SRA appoints new Executive Director
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has appointed Aileen Armstrong as Executive Director Strategy and Innovation, taking up post in mid-June. She will be responsible for continuing to develop the SRA’s strategic direction and in particular its policy and research work, with a focus on supporting the delivery of innovation and technology in the legal sector. […]
Amendments to Practice Directions supplementing the Court of Protection Rules 2017
Amendments to the following Practice Directions supplementing the Court of Protection Rules 2017 is made by the President of the Court of Protection under the powers delegated to him by the Lord Chief Justice under section 52(3) of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Schedule 2, Part 1, paragraph 2(2) of the Constitutional Reform Act […]
Metamorph: SRA intervenes into two more firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed it is intervening into a further two firms owned by legal consortium Metamorph. Knowles Benning LLP Knight Polson Ltd The two firms are also owned by Metamorph Group Ltd. This is in addition to the four firms previously intervened into: MLL Ltd, BPL Solicitors Ltd, Beaumont ABS Ltd […]
Legal Ombudsman cannot afford to lose focus
The Legal Ombudsman service (LeO) has made some strides in improving its performance, but it must not lose focus in tackling its backlog, the Law Society of England and Wales said today. Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “Reducing the backlog of cases waiting to be investigated must continue to be the priority for LeO. […]
SRA proposes minor amends to its Standards and Regulations in response to feedback
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is consulting on a series of minor amendments to its Standards and Regulations following feedback from stakeholders since the rules were introduced in 2019. The amendments address areas where, once live, the new rules have either had unintended knock-on consequences or feedback from the profession suggests they need changing to […]
CLC urges Legal Ombudsman to step up costs control
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) needs to do more to show that it can control its very high costs, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) warned today. While the CLC said its confidence that LeO can deal with its case load has increased “slightly”, it has “yet to be assured” of the organisation’s control of costs. […]
CLC seeks to expand its Continuous Professional Development requirements
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is proposing major changes to its Continuous Professional Development (CPD) requirements, moving towards an outcomes-focused approach. In its latest consultation, the CLC sets out a new set of principles which will involve changes for individuals, as well as introducing a universal CPD requirement for CLC firms. These proposals will […]
LSB launches consultation on draft business plan for 2023/24
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today launched a consultation on its draft business plan and budget for 2023/24 to drive forward its ambition to deliver a legal services market that better meets society’s needs. Covering the third year of their Reshaping Legal Services strategy, the plan sets out our planned work for April 2023 […]
LSB calls for consistent approach to tackling economic crime
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has called for a more consistent approach to tackling economic crime, throwing its support behind the “regulatory objective” proposed in section 155 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. The regulatory objective would underline the importance of the LSB and other legal services regulators using their powers to prevent […]
SRA-led bid awarded RPF grant to develop tech-enabled dispute resolution
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has been awarded a grant of £119,691 from the latest round of Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF). The money will fund a project to explore ways to increase the use of technology-enabled dispute resolution to help individuals and businesses resolve legal issues, without the need to go to court. Working with consortium […]
CLC to freeze fees for the coming year
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has announced a freeze on its application fees, licence fees, and regulatory fee rates for the coming year. This comes after the regulator ran an open consultation over the summer asking firms to respond on five areas, covering turnover bandings, Practice Fee rates, Compensation Fund Contribution rates, Office for […]
SRA sets out new approach to financial penalties
Safeguards proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to increase the transparency and accountability of its enforcement processes do not go far enough, the Law Society of England and Wales have said. Lubna Shuja, President of the Law Society, said: “The SRA’s internal fining powers increased from £2,000 to £25,000 in July this year for […]
Reports of AML breaches down 8%, SRA data shows
The number of reports received by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding potential breaches of money laundering regulations fell by 8% from 273 to 252 between the 2021/22 financial year and the year prior, new data has revealed. The data is contained within the SRA’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) annual report 2021-22. With regards to the […]
LeO confirms when changes to Scheme Rules will come into effect
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has confirmed that changes to its Scheme Rules, which will aim to make it harder for clients to complain about legal services, will come into effect on 1st April 2023. One key change outlined in the new Scheme Rules is the time limit for referring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, […]
LSB publishes new framework in effort to better hold regulators to account
The Legal Service Board (LSB) has published a new approach to regulatory performance. It invites the front line legal regulators to take the lead on demonstrating that they are well-led and have an effective approach to regulating in the public interest. The LSB say effective regulation protects and benefits the public while supporting leadership, growth, […]