News

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed the appointment of Richard Blakeway to the post of Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) after an open competition. The OLC is the Board of the Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales. This follows Richard’s appearance before the Justice Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny on 11…

Read LSB announces Richard Blakeway as the Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints

The Legal Services Board (LSB) notes the judgment of the Court of Appeal in CILEX’s appeal against the High Court’s decision in Mazur. A spokesperson for the LSB said:  “The Legal Services Board welcomes the clarity provided by the Court of Appeal on how the reserved legal activity of conducting litigation under the Legal Services Act should be interpreted and applied in practice.  “We will now carefully consider the judgment’s implications…

Read LSB statement: Court of Appeal judgment in Mazur

Legal services regulators must do more to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has said, setting out new expectations designed to reinforce lawyers’ role in upholding the rule of law. Regulators will need to put “professional ethical duties” at the heart of how lawyers are expected to behave. The LSB has confirmed that where duties conflict, lawyers must prioritise their duties to the court and the rule of law over their duty to…

Read LSB leads sector-wide effort to strengthen legal ethics

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today issued a formal public censure against the solicitors’ regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This follows the regulator’s failure to protect consumers affected by the collapse of Sheffield-based law firm SSB Group Limited (SSB). SSB specialised in so-called ‘no win, no fee’ cases – a type of legal…

Read Solicitors’ regulator censured over failures to protect SSB Law consumers

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced Richard Blakeway as its preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) after an open competition. The OLC is the Board of the Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales. The LSB’s recommendation has been approved by the Minister of State for Justice,…

Read LSB announces preferred candidate for the Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints

The Legal Services Board (LSB) is pleased to be participating in the Ministry of Justice’s Public Bodies Review. All arms-length bodies of Government are subject to periodic review, with the LSB last being reviewed in 2017. We welcome this opportunity to reflect on the positive impact of our work, our role supporting independent legal services regulation, and areas where we…

Read LSB statement on its Public Bodies Review

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today published an interim report setting out initial findings from its review of the advice and guidance that regulators have given to the profession on the conduct of litigation.  The report identifies differences in how regulators have interpreted and communicated requirements around the conduct of litigation. It is intended to support regulators to improve clarity, consistency, and collaboration across all relevant aspects of their…

Read LSB publishes interim findings on litigation guidance

The Legal Services Board (LSB) today announces that Richard Orpin has been appointed its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).   The Board appointed Richard following an open recruitment process. Richard joined the LSB in 2023 as Director, Regulation and Policy, and has nearly 20 years’ experience in regulation and in government.  Commenting on the appointment, Catherine Brown, Interim Chair of the Legal Services…

Read LSB announces new Chief Executive

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today launched a consultation on its draft business plan and budget for 2026/27. Alongside this, it has published a report on the sector’s progress against the Reshaping Legal Services strategy.  Business plan 2026/27  The draft business plan proposes that the LSB implement its revised approach to oversight regulation. This will involve the LSB focussing its resources on regulators that underperform and reducing burdens on those performing well.   Meanwhile, the…

Read LSB outlines plans as report shows legal sector’s progress – and challenges

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has shared new proposals that aim to support equality and diversity in the legal profession and is inviting feedback from across the sector.  Despite some progress, the legal profession does not represent the people it serves. Many groups still face barriers to entering the profession and developing their careers in legal services. Women, minoritised ethnic groups and disabled people, for example, remain significantly underrepresented at senior levels across parts of the…

Read LSB publishes plans to tackle barriers to a more diverse legal services profession