Work carried out to make sure solicitors keep criminals from using the profession to launder money has been detailed in a new review. The SRA have published their first professional supervisor report, a recent requirement placed on all supervisors by both the Money Laundering Regulations and guidance by the Office for Professional Body Anti-money laundering…
Qualitative research into SMEs’ legal needs and adoption of Lawtech
On behalf of LawtechUK and the Legal Services Board, Community Research conducted qualitative research with 40 SMEs from different sectors (10 of whom had previously used lawtech) to explore how they address their legal needs and access legal advice and support, in order to understand how lawtech can better support SMEs. Read the full paper…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales moves to the next step of its project to ensure barristers practices comply with the Bar transparency rules.
The Bar Standards Board is beginning the next phase of its work regarding the Bar transparency rules which came into force in July 2019. This involves ensuring all barristers’ practices comply. The Bar transparency rules are designed to help the public make informed decisions about barristers’ services and improve the information available to the public before they…
The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service has published a second consultation document on changes to the Sanctions Guidance
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has welcomed the publication of a second consultation document on changes to the Sanctions Guidance by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS). These guidelines are used by Disciplinary Tribunals in deciding what sanctions to impose in cases of proven professional misconduct by barristers in England and Wales. This consultation seeks…
Further fund award is an opportunity to connect innovative services with those who need legal help
The SRA have won a grant from the latest round of Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF) to help connect those using new legal technologies with those who need their services. They have been awarded £167,856 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to be used to create a new network where regulators, expert…
Positive response ahead of new solicitor exam’s first sitting
More than a thousand people have signed up to take the first ever Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) assessment in November. The new single assessment sets consistent high standards for solicitors at the point of entry into the profession. Bookings for the first SQE1 assessment closed last week. The majority of bookings – 74 per cent –…
New guidelines published for legal professionals practising within the Coroners’ Courts
The Bar Standards Board, with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and CILEx Regulation have outlined new guidelines for solicitors, barristers and CILEx advocates working in the Coroners court. This includes: A set of competences which spell out the standards expected of lawyers by the regulators and the public Guidance and other resources to help make sure…
LSB sets clear expectations for regulators to improve consumer information, promote rights, and drive choice in the legal services market across England and Wales
The LSB in partnership with regulators is working ensure legal services providers offer helpful information to consumers about the cost and quality of their services and on redress and regulation, so consumers can make informed decisions. The LSB is also proposing that regulators implement effective programmes of activity to support public legal education, focusing on…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales publishes new research on consumers’ expectations and experience of working with barristers
On the 4th of August, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published research on consumers’ expectations and experience of working with barristers, with the goal of using an evidence-based approach to better understand consumer needs and barrister relationships. The research, which was undertaken by an independent research agency involved in-depth interviews with 50 consumers, all of…
Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales publishes results of study into innovation in the legal sector
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales (SRA) has published the results of its independent study into innovation in the legal sector, commissioned in March. The study was carried out on behalf of the SRA by a research team at the University of Oxford which included Professors Mari Sako and John Armour. The study…