The Law Society Gazette published my latest opinion piece on the Solicitors Regulation Authority and its proposal to take 29% more from the profession next year. Reform of the regulator is long overdue, and Sarah Rapson’s candour as chief executive is genuinely welcome, but my argument is simple: the plan adds complexity precisely where the profession and the public need clarity, and so it fails a basic simplicity test.
In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008-2010, financial services regulators around the world changed their approaches, leading to meaningful progress for consumers and professionals alike. Drawing on Andrew Haldane’s 2012 Jackson Hole address on the limits of complex regulation, I make the case for a regulator that does fewer things exceptionally well: protecting client money, enforcing the AML regime, upholding honesty, and policing conflicts of interest.
The SRA should do less, do it better, and be far smaller in the process. The proposals are not brave enough to be radical and not focused enough to simplify.
You can read the full piece below.
Law Society Gazette Opinion Piece on SRA Reforms 05 June 2026
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