SRA Standards and Regulations

Prohibited activities

You must not carry on, or agree to carry on, any of the following activities: an activity that is specified in an order made under section 327(6) of FSMA; an activity that relates to an investment that is specified in an order made under section 327(6) of FSMA; entering into a regulated credit agreement as lender except where the regulated credit agreement relates exclusively to the payment of...

The roll and registers

The SRA shall keep in electronic form: the roll; a register of all solicitors who hold practising certificates; the register of European lawyers; the register of foreign lawyers; the register of Swiss lawyers; and a register of authorised bodies.

Obligation to effect insurance

An authorised body carrying on a practice during any indemnity period beginning on or after 25 November 2019 must take out and maintain qualifying insurance under these rules with a participating insurer. In respect of its obligation under rule 2.1, an authorised body must obtain a policy of qualifying insurance prior to the expiry of the policy period, that provides cover incepting on and...

Commencement and application

The Solicitors' Indemnity Rules 1987 as amended from time to time shall be further amended with effect from 1 October 2023 and shall continue in force thereafter in the form annexed hereto in which form they may be known as the SRA Indemnity Fund Rules. The Solicitors' Indemnity (Incorporated Practice) Rules 1991 as amended from time to time shall continue in force only in respect of the...

Indemnity limit

Save in relation to an expired run-off claim, in respect of which the provisions of Rule 8.5 shall apply, the indemnity limit shall be £1,000,000 each and every claim (including claimants' costs).

Grants to defaulting practitioners

The SRA may make a grant to a defaulting practitioner who or which has suffered or is likely to suffer loss by reason of their liability to any client in direct consequence of an act or omission of: in the case of a defaulting solicitor, defaulting REL, defaulting RFL or defaulting RSL any of their employees or any fellow manager; in the case of a defaulting recognised body, any of its...

Notice to defaulting practitioner

The SRA may not make a grant unless it has given not less than 8 days' notice to the defaulting practitioner informing them of the nature and value of the application, unless it appears to the SRA that it would not be reasonably practicable to give such notice, or the grant should be made urgently. Where the SRA has made a grant urgently in accordance with rule 16.1, the SRA shall as soon as,...

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...

Assessing reports

The SRA shall assess any allegation which comes to, or is brought to, its attention in respect of a relevant person to decide if it should be considered under rule 3. A matter is an allegation in respect of a person for the purpose of these rules if it raises a question that the person: is a solicitor, an REL, RFL or RSL and has committed professional misconduct; has committed or is...