Each week the BSB, BTAS, the SDT and the SRA publish decisions that do far more than name and sanction individual practitioners. Read together, they illuminate the points at which professional competence breaks down. I want to be clear at this point that I mean competence as set out by the regulators, namely the SRA and BSB. The SRA introduced its Statement of Solicitor Competence in 2015 and the BSB published its Professional Statement for Barristers in September 2016. These statements set out the competences which solicitors and barristers must demonstrate in order to practise and must maintain to continue practising. What these competence statements do is work in conjunction with the respective regulations and standards (in shorthand, the handbooks) to maintain standards and ethics in the solicitor and barrister professions.
It is also worth mentioning that there are 18,491 practising barristers and 178,428 solicitors in England and Wales. The sources are: the BSB statistics on practising barristers, latest published snapshot as at 1 December 2025, and the SRA Regulated Community Statistics, latest published figure, as at July 2026.
Authorities which did not say what they were said to say
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during week ending 4 September 2026 which have sufficient detail..
A suspension for not doing CPD, and for saying that it had been done
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during week ending 31 July 2026 which have sufficient detail..
An appeal about what competent service means
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during week ending 28 August 2026 which have sufficient detail..
A private insurance claim, and how narrowly exceptional circumstances are drawn
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during week ending 21 August 2026 which have sufficient detail..
Recording the family court
Breaches of confidentiality, personal data and discrimination rules, the use of unqualified individuals and dishonesty findings This digest relates to..
Accepting a role you know you are not equipped for
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during week ending 11 August 2026 which have sufficient detail..
Three SDT judgments this week
When supervision fails, when a boundary is crossed, and whether inappropriate behaviour means misconduct This digest relates to cases published by..
A tribunal finding at the Bar: conflicts, advice and supervision
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during week ending 17 July 2026 which have sufficient detail..
Competence Matters: Disciplinary Digest
This digest relates to cases published by the respective regulators during weeks ending 3 and 10 July 2026. Theme 1:..