The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has received approval to authorise its regulated community to administer oaths following a public consultation on amendments to its regulatory framework.
The ICAEW regulates accounting firms who provide probate and estate administration services. The chartered accountancy body has confirmed from 1st October ICAEW accredited probate practitioners will be able to conduct administration of oaths, a reserved legal activity. The regulated community will also be entitled to call themselves Commissioners for Oaths.
The changes will enable professionals to
- Administer oaths (or affirmations): ensuring that individuals make formal statements sworn under oath to carry out a particular duty.
- Take affidavits and statutory declarations: ensuring they are properly sworn if an affidavit or declared if a statutory declaration.
To support accredited probate firms, ICAEW has teamed up with training provider Mercia to produce resources for ICAEW probate practitioners to cover the practical aspects of administering oaths. The Mercia Certificate in Probate and Estate Administration course will also include a new training module on the administration of oaths for new ICAEW applicants starting in November 2025.
The consultation included proposed amendments to its first-tier complaints handling requirements with the aim of enhancing transparency and strengthening consumer confidence. Accredited firms will now be required to collect and report data on legal services complaints received and resolved. ICAEW will publish this information on an aggregate basis to evaluate trends and support greater transparency in how complaints are managed.
Commenting on the changes Rachel Clements, ICAEW Regulatory Policy Manager, said:
“The introduction of oaths as a legal service regulated by ICAEW will enable chartered accountants who are probate practitioners at ICAEW accredited legal services firms to offer a wider range of services, helping them to better meet their clients’ needs.
“Additionally, our updates to complaints handling requirements will help to strengthen trust in the legal sector. It is important for all consumers to have confidence that their complaints will be assessed fairly and dealt with effectively, at the first available opportunity.”
