SRA Standards and Regulations

Fixed financial penalties

Where the SRA has evidence that a relevant person has committed one or more of the breaches listed in rule 11.2, it may notify them and will: set out the allegation and the facts in support, accompanied by any evidence or documentation that the SRA considers to be relevant to the allegation; require the relevant person to remedy any specified breaches and provide evidence of the action taken...

Vocational stage

Your eligibility to commence the Legal Practice Course will be determined according to the requirements, approved by the SRA, of the relevant authorised education provider. Subject to regulation 3A.2, to complete the vocational stage of training you must complete: the Legal Practice Course; a period of recognised training; and the Professional Skills Course.

European Communities (Lawyer’s Practice) Regulations 2000

If you are an REL or you were an REL immediately before the end of IP completion day, you will be eligible for admission as a solicitor under Part V of the European Communities (Lawyer's Practice) Regulations 2000 to the extent that they continue to have effect in accordance with the Services of Lawyers and Lawyer's Practice (Revocation etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, if: you satisfy the...

Application for admission

You may apply for admission in writing in the prescribed form. Following an application for admission, the SRA will issue you with a certificate of satisfaction if it is satisfied that you have met the eligibility requirements for admission as a solicitor set out in this Part. At any time before making an application for admission, you may apply to the SRA for an early assessment of your...

Removal from and restoration to the roll

The SRA may remove your name from the roll if: following an enquiry made by the SRA under regulation 5.4: you tell the SRA that you do not wish to remain on the roll; you do not, within eight weeks from the date of the notice, reply to the SRA and pay the fee specified under regulation 5.5, or you apply to have your name removed from the roll. Where regulation 5.6(a)(ii) applies, the SRA must...

Reserved legal activities

Subject to regulations 9.2, 9.3, 9.5 to 9.10 and 10.2(b), if you are a solicitor with a current practising certificate, or an REL, you are entitled to carry on all reserved legal activities except notarial activities. If you are an REL you may only exercise a right of audience before a court, conduct litigation or prepare court documents, in conjunction with a solicitor or barrister who is...

Confidentiality and disclosure

You keep the affairs of current and former clients confidential unless disclosure is required or permitted by law or the client consents. Where you are acting for a client on a matter, you make the client aware of all information material to the matter of which you have knowledge, except when: the disclosure of the information is prohibited by legal restrictions imposed in the interests of...

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...

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...

Payment of interest

You account to clients or third parties for a fair sum of interest on any client money held by you on their behalf. You may by a written agreement come to a different arrangement with the client or the third party for whom the money is held as to the payment of interest, but you must provide sufficient information to enable them to give informed consent.