Our annual report

In our annual assessment of each regulator’s performance, the two largest – the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Bar Standards Board (BSB), which together regulate more than 90% of legal professionals in England and Wales – failed to meet the required standards in important areas. 

For the SRA, we had already begun enforcement action, following an independent review of its actions before it closed the firm Axiom Ince Ltd.

For the BSB, we decided to escalate the informal action already underway. Voluntary undertakings, identified by the BSB, must provide us with the reassurance that the BSB’s performance is improving, and deliver regulation more effectively for consumers and the public.  

We pushed regulators to be proactive in creating an environment that encourages lawyers and law firms to be innovative in connecting people to legal services. Greater use of technology could help to address unmet legal need, and we have taken a pro-innovation approach to the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). 

We also bolstered our requirements for how lawyers handle complaints from consumers about the service they received. We want consumers to know that their complaint will be taken seriously, and that their feedback will be used to improve services.  

Our annual conference attracted more than 300 attendees, the vast majority in-person, alongside 23 speakers and 15 exhibitors. We also provided bursaries for 17 law students to attend. 

Across the year, we hosted and attended a variety of events to better understand the needs of consumers and providers across England and Wales. We also continued to meet with regulators from other jurisdictions and of other sectors to share best practice.  

One of our roles is to approve alterations to regulatory arrangements before they come into effect. And because legal services regulation is funded by the profession, we also approve the practising fees that regulators charge lawyers and law firms. We check that these fees provide sufficient funding and financial resilience for the regulators, without adversely affecting equality, diversity, and inclusion. 

In 2024/25 we published the results of our latest survey of the legal needs of individuals. This revealed that two out of every three people had experienced a legal issue in the last four years, though many do not seek professional help – sometimes because they don’t know they need it, sometimes because they don’t know how to find it, and sometimes because they’re worried about the cost. 

We continue to pursue research projects about emerging or persistent issues for the sector. One such project was about the potential for litigation funding to improve access to justice; another looked at barriers to a more diverse legal profession.