Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

SRA Code of Conduct definition

What does SRA Code of Conduct mean? The SRA Code of Conduct sets the day-to-day professional standards that solicitors and SRA‑authorised law firms in England and Wales must follow. It sits within the SRA Standards and Regulations (in force since 2019) and is issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under statutory powers in the Legal Services Act 2007; it is not defined in primary legislation or case law. There are two Codes: one for individual solicitors and other SRA‑regulated lawyers, and one for firms. Read with the SRA Principles, Accounts Rules and Transparency Rules, the Codes govern key obligations including acting in clients’ best interests, independence, honesty and...

SRA Codes of Conduct - comparative duties for solicitors and firms, COLP/COFA roles, compliance systems, reporting and sanctions (England and Wales)

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Practice notes

This Practice Note offers guidance on the SRA Codes of Conduct within the SRA Standards and Regulations. The SRA Standards and Regulations comprise two Codes of Conduct—a Code for Solicitors, RELs, RFLs and RSLs, and a Code for Firms. The Standards and Regulations (including the Codes of Conduct) set out the standards and Requirements that individual solicitors and firms regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are expected to achieve and observe:

for the benefit of clients, and
in the general public interest

This Practice Note outlines the structure of the SRA Codes of Conduct, identifies who carries responsibility for adherence, and the potential outcomes of any breach. It contains a series of tables setting out and contrasting how the requirements in the Codes apply to individuals and to firms, highlighting similarities and differences across those duties.

For further guidance on the SRA regulatory regime, see the following Practice Notes set out below:

SRA regulatory regime
SRA Standards and Regulations
SRA Accounts Rules—law firms
Breach reporting—law firms

SRA Principles

The Codes of Conduct should be interpreted alongside the SRA Principles, which articulate the ethical benchmarks expected of everyone regulated by the SRA. These are compulsory and require you to act...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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