Committee publication · Correspondence · 22 May 2026
Correspondence from Sarah Rapson, Chief Executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, dated 19 May 2026 relating to the Mazur Judgment
From: Justice Committee
Summary
Sarah Rapson, CEO of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, writes to clarify the SRA's response to the Mazur Court of Appeal judgment on unauthorised persons conducting litigation. She explains the SRA's support during confusion following the original judgment, defends the adequacy of existing guidance, and commits to publishing updated guidance with case studies by June 2026 developed jointly with other legal regulators and representative bodies.
Key findings
- The SRA recognises sector-wide inconsistency in guidance following the original Mazur judgment and provided support via helpline to hundreds of practitioners
- The SRA welcomes Court of Appeal clarity that unauthorised persons may conduct litigation only under appropriate supervision from an authorised person
- The SRA has not published new guidance immediately post-judgment to avoid proliferation of overlapping information, but recognises profession feedback requesting additional clarity
- The SRA is developing updated guidance jointly with Cilex Regulation, The Law Society, and representative bodies, including practical case studies, for publication by June 2026
- The SRA emphasises solicitors and firms must use professional judgment and maintain proportionate processes; detailed guidance for all scenarios would not be possible or appropriate
Tone
ProceduralTopics
legal-services-regulationaccess-to-justiceprofessional-conduct
Key actors
Sarah Rapson, Andy Slaughter MP, Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Law Society, Cilex Regulation, Legal Services Board
Notable line
“We have welcomed the clarity provided by the Court of Appeal which sets out that unauthorised persons may carry on conduct of litigation, but only under appropriate supervision from an authorised person.”
Key Quotes
“After the original Mazur vs Speechlys judgment, we recognised the concern and confusion among practitioners and firms.”
“We have welcomed the clarity provided by the Court of Appeal which sets out that unauthorised persons may carry on conduct of litigation, but only under appropriate supervision from an authorised person.”
“However, we do recognise the feedback from the sector that it would like additional clarity on the implications of the judgment.”
“… as possible we are developing a range of case studies. We plan to publish this updated guidance by June and we will continue to work with the profession to listen to feedback …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗