Blog
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SDT Budget Set to Rise by 25% Amid Surge in Disciplinary Cases
According to Legal Futures, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is set for a 25% budget increase in 2025, rising from £2.5 million to £3.1 million, in response to a spike in cases referred by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This funding boost, sourced from practising fees paid by solicitors, will support an expected 300…
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SRA Faces Enforcement Over Mishandling of Axiom Ince
According to an article by the Law Gazette, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) faces historic enforcement action by the Legal Services Board (LSB) following its mishandling of the 2023 collapse of law firm Axiom Ince. An independent review found the SRA’s actions were inadequate and ineffective, with failures in oversight leading to the loss…
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Family Lawyers can face Criminal Liability
The World Uyghur Congress Court of Appeal Case June 2024 Family lawyers need to be aware of the risk of unintentionally receiving criminal property as payment for legal fees, particularly after the judgement handed down in June 2024 in the Court of Appeal decision in R (World Uyghur Congress) v National Crime Agency [2024]…
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Officers Uncover £55 Million Laundered through Chinese Underground Banking Channels in the UK
The Metropolitan Police released an article in August 2024, detailing a successful persecution of seven members of a criminal Chinese underground banking group by British police forces. Following an operation that spanned more than three years, a money laundering network operating through Chinese underground banking channels has been dismantled. The group, which laundered over…
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Lawyers Condemn the SRA’s Increased Fining Powers
In September 2024, a growing number of legal professionals have voiced strong opposition to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) proposed plans to drastically increase its fining powers. Several prominent legal bodies, including the City of London Law Society, have already raised alarms, branding the proposals as unnecessary, confusing, and potentially unlawful. The Birmingham Law…
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SRA Fines £170,000 for AML Breaches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority have stepped up their enforcement action with fines of £170,000 in the first quarter of 2024. After 4th March 2024, fines now account for 5-10% of a firm’s turnover. Firms are neglecting to conduct and document due diligence on funds before accepting funds and many are failing to employ Client…