8. Co-Operation and Accountability Flashcards
Responding to the SRA
How must you respond to the SRA, when the SRA asks you about a specific circumstance?
Justify your actions in order to demonstrate compliance with SRA obligations.
Responding to the SRA
What two things must you do when responding to the SRA?
- Provide full and accurate explanations
- Ensure that relevant information is available for inspection
Notifying SRA of Certain Events
What three events must a solicitor notify the SRA of?
- Subject to any criminal charge, conviction, or caution
- Insolvency event
- Aware of material changes to information about you or your practice provided to the SRA
Notifying SRA of Certain Events
How often must a firm provide an information report to the SRA?
On an annual basis
Notifying SRA of Certain Events
What five events must a firm notify the SRA of?
- Indications of serious financial difficulty
- Insolvency event
- Intention or awareness that it will cease operating as a legal business
- Any change to information in the register
- Aware of any material changes to information about the firm, or its managers, owners, or compliance officers provided to the SRA
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
What must you do if you become aware any person or body (including yourself) has committed a serious breach?
Ensure that a prompt report is made to SRA/relevant regulator
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
What specifically must you report?
Any facts or matters which you reasonably believe are capable of amounting to a serious breach
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
Even where you do not have sufficient information to determine whether a serious breach has occurred, what obligation do you have?
Promptly inform SRA of any facts or matters which you reasonably believe should be brought to its attention
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
Should you still make a report where it would involve disclosing confidential information?
Yes
Where principles conflict, the one re: wider public interest prevails
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
Has the SRA defined what a serious breach is?
No
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
What are six allegations that are taken seriously by the SRA?
- Abuse of trust
- Dishonesty
- Taking unfair advantage of clients
- Misuse of client money
- Sexual or violent misconduct
- Criminal behaviour
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
What are four factors that could aggravate conduct to a serious breach?
- Deliberately or wrecklessly disregarding their obligations
- Taking advantage of vulnerability
- Causing harm that could have been reasonably anticipated
- Pattern of repeated misconduct
Reporting Actual and Potential Breaches
What are the two ways in a which a breach can be serious?
- Serious in isolation
- Persistent pattern of behaviour
Solicitor May Inform SRA Indirectly
How can you satisfy your obligation to report via a COLP or COFA?
Make the report to the COLP or SOFA on the understanding that they will provide the information to the SRA
Solicitor May Inform SRA Indirectly
When you make a report to a COLP or COFA, do you have to follow up?
Generally, the obligation is discharged and you are not required to check