Anyone reporting wrongdoing in the legal sector to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) now has greater protection against the risk of retaliatory action.
The SRA has been designated a prescribed person under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), giving anyone in the legal sector who acts as a whistleblower legal “protection from detriment”, such as from being fired.
PIDA is the UK’s primary whistleblowing law, offering protection to those who “reasonably believe” they are acting in the public interest.
All SRA-regulated individuals and law firm employees – such as paralegals, clerks and trainees – and also agency workers are protected under the new PIDA designation.
Solicitors already have a duty to report misconduct, but the PIDA designation means all legal professionals have protections to report wrongdoing.
Aileen Armstrong, SRA Executive Director for Strategy and Innovation, said: “Serious wrongdoing and associated risks to the public, sometimes only come to light when someone speaks up, but we know that the fear of damaging one’s career can mean that people are reluctant to act.
“This designation is an important step in making sure anyone working within a law firm, not just a solicitor, feels safe and able to bring forward their concerns.”
Andrew Pepper-Parsons, Director of Policy and Communications at Protect, the independent whistleblowing charity, added: “The SRA becoming prescribed is a positive move for both whistleblowers and whistleblowing more generally. It will reassure whistleblowers in the sector that approaching the regulator with intelligence will come with enhanced protection.
“The annual reports from the SRA that come with being prescribed will add transparency and accountability to the whistleblowing function.”
Anyone with information about potential misconduct can report to the SRA here. A full list of PIDA designated organisations is on the UK Government website.
The protection applies to the disclosure of information that relates to something happening now, which took place in the past, or is likely to happen in the future.
