The Solicitors Regulation Authority has set out a renewed set of priorities for 2026, following remarks by Chief Executive Sarah Rapson to a meeting of the Law Society Council on 18 March 2026. The priorities are framed around fixing the regulator’s foundations and rebuilding trust with both the public and the profession. Rapson acknowledges concerns about slow casework, uneven operational performance, rising reports and a tendency to be too reactive.
The four priorities identified are operational excellence, improving collaboration, proactive risk identification and focusing on the big issues. The operational work includes strengthening governance, culture and leadership, expanding the executive team, and reviewing casework processes, including the assessment threshold, quality assurance of triage and investigations, and alternatives to full investigation through a new supervision pilot.
The SRA also says it will increase senior engagement with stakeholders, improve transparency about regulatory action, and continue moving towards more proactive, data-led supervision. This includes rolling out a law firm profiler tool, launching rapid and strategic risk assessments, and piloting intensive supervision. Specific attention is also being given to high-volume consumer claims, including warning notices, supervision taskforce work and updated guidance on litigation funding and after-the-event insurance. These changes are intended to form the foundation for the SRA’s next three-year corporate strategy, which will be consulted on later in 2026 and launched in 2027.