SRA boss to ‘reset’ relations with profession
The boss of Britain’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has promised a “reset” in the regulator’s often strained relationship with the profession.
Chief executive Sarah Rapson, in an interview with the England-and-Wales Gazette, signalled a shift toward a more human and empathetic style, aiming to shed the SRA’s reputation for being distant and out of touch.
We can seem distant to the regulated community,” Rapson told the Gazette in her first media interview.
“I would like us to come across as empathetic – holding people to high standards, but in a more human way.”
Rapson inherited a regulator under fire following the high-profile collapses of firms Axiom Ince and SSB Group.
Rapson told the Gazette she had a “turnaround” job on her hands, and wanted to move past the tenure of her predecessor, Paul Philip, by adopting a listening mode.
Spike
The SRA has seen an 80% year-on-year spike in conduct complaints recorded in the final quarter of 2025.
Rapson attributed this surge, in part, to the rise of artificial intelligence, noting that AI tools had made it significantly easier for disgruntled clients to draft and file formal grievances.
Deborah Jones, a former Slaughter and May solicitor and current deputy managing director of the Payment Systems Regulator, has been appointed as the SRA executive director for transformation.
Jones, arriving on secondment, is tasked with leading operational improvements and streamlining the regulator's response to the mounting caseload.
Rapson is also pushing for an internal shift, urging SRA teams to adopt a “culture of curiosity”.
She wants improved risk-spotting, allowing the regulator to identify “potential casualties” and failing firms before they collapse.
SLAPP setbacks
The regulator is currently assessing a series of high-profile defeats in SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) cases.
Recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) rulings in favour of partners at firms such as Carter-Ruck and Hamlins have forced the SRA to reconsider how it handles allegations of abusive litigation.