SRA Standards and Regulations

Cooperation and accountability

You keep up to date with and follow the law and regulation governing the way you work. You are able to justify your decisions and actions in order to demonstrate compliance with your obligations under the SRA's regulatory arrangements. You cooperate with the SRA, other regulators, ombudsmen, and those bodies with a role overseeing and supervising the delivery of, or investigating concerns in...

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...

Client money and assets

You properly account to clients for any financial benefit you receive as a result of their instructions, except where they have agreed otherwise. You safeguard money and assets entrusted to you by clients and others. You do not personally hold client money save as permitted under regulation 10.2(b)(vii) of the Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, unless you work in an authorised body, or...

Decisions to disqualify a person

An authorised decision maker may decide to disqualify a person under rule 3.1(c) only where they are satisfied that it is undesirable for the person to engage in the relevant activity or activities.

Evidential and procedural matters

The SRA may vary the procedure set out in these rules where it considers that it is in the interests of justice, or in the overriding public interest, to do so. A decision under rule 3 may be made by agreement between the relevant person and the SRA. Before reaching a decision under rule 3, an authorised decision maker or adjudication panel may give directions for the fair and effective...

Duration of authorisation

A body's authorisation takes effect from the date the certificate of authorisation is issued to it by the SRA. A body's authorisation shall cease to have effect: subject to Part 5, if the body ceases to exist; or if the body is a licensed body and is issued with a licence by another approved regulator. The SRA may revoke or suspend a body's authorisation, if: it is satisfied that the...

Conditions

The SRA may at any time, whether on grant of an application for authorisation or otherwise, impose such conditions on a body's authorisation (whether indefinite or for a specified period), where it considers it appropriate in the public interest to do so and in accordance with rules 3.2 and 3.3. The SRA may impose conditions under rule 3.1 if it is satisfied that the authorised body, or a...

Apprenticeships

To complete an apprenticeship for the purposes of regulation 3A.1(a)(i), you must meet the requirements set out in the assessment plan for the Apprenticeship Standard for a Solicitor (England) approved by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, or set out in the Apprenticeship Framework specified in the Level 7 Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Practice (Wales). This must include...

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] Regulations 4.2 and 10.3 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...

Monitoring and inspection

In order to protect and promote the standards of legal education and training, the SRA may: monitor the relevant programmes of study provided by an approved education provider and an authorised education provider, the training provided by an authorised training provider or the assessments provided by an assessment provider approved under regulation 6; visit the provider's premises, at such...