Draft proposals to underline the important role of legal services regulators in tackling economic crime have been published today by the Legal Services Board (LSB). This follows a new legal duty being placed on the LSB and the legal services regulators to ‘promote the prevention and detection of economic crime’. The Economic Crime and Corporate…
Read Consultation launched on how legal regulators can fight economic crime
The Board gathered on 22 October 2024 for a meeting dominated by discussion of a series of events that have had significant consequences for the legal services sector: the intervention into Axiom Ince by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). We had commissioned Carson McDowell LLP, a Northern Ireland firm of solicitors not regulated by the…
Read Chair’s blog: enforcement action against the SRA following Axiom Ince review
An independent review of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) actions before it closed law firm Axiom Ince Limited (PDF) has led to the Legal Services Board (LSB) initiating enforcement action against the SRA. When Axiom Ince stopped trading in October 2023, approximately £60 million in client money was missing and approximately 1,400 people lost their…
Read Enforcement action begun against SRA following Axiom Ince review
The Legal Services Board (LSB) today announces the appointment of barrister Elaine Banton as a non-lay member of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC). The LSB oversees the OLC, the board of the Legal Ombudsman, making appointments to its board of both lay and non-lay members. Non-lay members are legally qualified. As a barrister, Elaine acts…
Read LSB appoints barrister to the Office for Legal Complaints
Our Board meeting on 18 September 2024 was especially notable for three reasons. First, we were gathered in Bristol, on the day after a series of engagements with legal services providers in the city. Second, it was our annual session on the LSB’s strategy, a welcome opportunity to consider the organisation’s direction for the coming…
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has released an interactive map and two reports aimed at understanding and addressing the barriers that stop people from pursuing a successful and fulfilling legal career, regardless of background or circumstance. The interactive map and first report identify specific stages in lawyers’ careers where barriers can prevent some groups of…
One of the most pressing challenges facing the legal sector is unmet legal need. Too many people in England and Wales do not get the help they need when faced with a legal problem, particularly if they are on a low income or in a vulnerable situation. Our 2024 Individual Legal Needs Survey shows that…
Today, the Legal Services Board (LSB) published its Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (PDF). The report describes the LSB’s work to ensure regulation contributes to reshaping legal services to better meet the needs of society. We have also produced a summary version of the report (PDF). Some key projects…
As previously announced, the Legal Services Board (LSB) is conducting an independent review of regulatory events leading up to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) intervention into Axiom Ince. We have received the independent report from Carson McDowell LLP. We are now considering the next steps, in the light of the findings and recommendations. The report…
Read Update on our independent SRA review related to Axiom Ince – 9 July 2024
The Board met in person on 11 June 2024. We welcomed newly appointed Board Member Christine Nwaokolo to her first meeting. We look forward to benefitting from her front-line experience as a lawyer as we work to ensure that legal services better meet the needs of consumers and the public. We were also delighted to…
We are conducting an independent review of regulatory events leading up to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) intervention into Axiom Ince. We had planned to publish the report shortly. As a public body, the Legal Services Board is required to adhere to General Election guidance. The guidance states that during the pre-election period, ‘Departmental and…
Read Update on our independent SRA review related to Axiom Ince – 29 May 2024
The Legal Services Board (LSB) today announces the appointment of Craig Westwood as its new Chief Executive Officer. Craig joins the LSB from the Electoral Commission, where he is currently Director of Communications, Policy and Research. The Board appointed Craig following an open recruitment process. He brings a wealth of experience in policy, research, public…
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