Quarter have negative opinion
Most legal professionals view the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) positively, although fewer than half feel that its work has increased their confidence and trust in legal services.
The report, commissioned by the SRA and conducted by an independent research agency, collected the opinions of approximately 3,400 individuals, including legal professionals, members of the public, business owners, and even politicians.
Over half of the legal professionals surveyed (56%) expressed a positive view of the regulator, while just over a quarter (26%) held a negative opinion. Another 18% remained neutral.
Fewer than half of legal professionals (47%) agreed that the SRA’s actions have improved trust and confidence, while 25% disagreed. Some respondents raised concerns about sanctions being too harsh for minor infractions and enforcement being overly “reactive”.
Elsewhere, the research found that among the surveyed politicians — 88 MPs and 11 Welsh Senedd members — slightly more than half were familiar with the SRA, and about a quarter of those said it had increased their trust and confidence in legal services.
Among respondents who had used a solicitor, 95% of SMEs and 91% of consumers were satisfied with the service they received. Overall, 86% of both SMEs and consumers said they would recommend their legal services provider.
Anna Bradley, chair of the SRA Board, said: “Getting the views of more than three-thousand stakeholders has been invaluable. It is good to see that generally people’s priorities chime with our strategy, where high qualification and professional standards are central.”
Bradley continued:
“It does, however, identify areas where we need to do more. We are already using the results to shape our work. There are some really rich insights in the report, which we think will be useful to anyone who is interested in what drives trust and confidence in legal services.”