Solicitors Regulation Authority


Published by a ³ÉÈËÓ°Òô Practice Compliance expert
Practice notes

Solicitors Regulation Authority


Published by a ³ÉÈËÓ°Òô Practice Compliance expert

Practice notes
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The authority'>Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is the independent regulatory arm of the Law Society. It regulates:

  1. •

    individual solicitors, registered European lawyers (RELs), registered foreign lawyers (RFLs) and non-lawyer employees, owners and managers of regulated law firms

  2. •

    law firms, eg sole practices, partnerships, LLPs and companies providing legal advice and services as:

    1. â—¦

      a solicitor practice (ie a firm owned and managed by solicitors), or

    2. â—¦

      an alternative business structure (ABS) (eg a firm with non-lawyer owners or managers)

The SRA does not represent the solicitors’ profession, which is the function of the Law Society. Its purpose is to ensure that consumers receive a good service and that the rule of law is upheld. This Practice Note explains the SRA’s structure, role and powers.

Structure

The SRA’s work is overseen by the SRA board, which comprises both solicitor and lay members, with the majority being non-lawyers. The board is assisted by two committees covering:

  1. •

    audit and risk

  2. •

    remuneration

The SRA is predominantly based in Birmingham but also has offices in London.

Relationship

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Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
Related legal acts:
Key definition:
Solicitors Regulation Authority definition
What does Solicitors Regulation Authority mean?

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) was set up by the Law Society to be its regulatory body after the Legal Services Act 2007 required the separation of all regulatory and representative activities relating to the legal professions.

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