Committee publication · Correspondence · 19 May 2026
Correspondence from Ian Jeffery, Chief Executive of The Law Society, dated 7 May 2026: Clarification of matters raised at inquiry session with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on 14 April 2026
From: Justice Committee
Inquiry: Access to Justice
Summary
Ian Jeffery, Chief Executive of The Law Society, clarifies the organisation's guidance on supervision and the Mazur judgments following questions raised at the Justice Committee's 14 April 2026 inquiry session with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. He states that The Law Society's guidance has remained consistently aligned with the SRA's position throughout, and outlines the development of guidance before and after the two Mazur court judgments.
Key findings
- The Law Society's guidance on supervision has been consistently aligned with SRA guidance throughout the period covered by the Mazur judgments
- Prior to the first Mazur judgment, the SRA's 2022 guidance permitted work delegation by firms but prohibited unauthorised individuals from conducting litigation under the Legal Services Act 2007
- Following the first Mazur judgment, The Law Society developed stand-alone guidance on the judgment's implications while the SRA declined to publish new guidance but confirmed The Law Society's guidance was accurate
- After the Court of Appeal judgment, The Law Society updated its guidance and confirmed alignment with the SRA's preliminary view
- The Law Society has engaged with the SRA, Legal Services Board, and CILEX to ensure consistency and minimise conflicting information
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Ian Jeffery, Andy Slaughter MP, Sarah Rapson, The Law Society of England and Wales, Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Legal Services Board (LSB), CILEX
Notable line
“… the Law Society's guidance has consistently been aligned with that of the SRA.”
Key Quotes
“I welcome the ambition expressed during the SRA's evidence session by its new Chief Executive Sarah Rapson to operate more efficiently, strengthen consumer protections, and better serve a modern profession.”
“… the Law Society's guidance has consistently been aligned with that of the SRA.”
“Following the first Mazur judgment, we worked closely with the SRA as we developed our new stand-alone guidance in the implications of Mazur which sat alongside our pre-existing guidance on supervision.”
“SRA representatives have confirmed that our guidance aligns with their preliminary view.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗