Performance of the SRA

The request was successful.

Spenser Poultney

Dear Solicitors Regulation Authority,

I would be most grateful if you could provide me with the following information, on an annual basis for the last three years:

1. The percentage of complaints against solicitors that have been upheld by the SRA.

2. The percentage of complaints against large (Top 50) law firms that have been upheld by the SRA.

3. The number of complaints against solicitors and law firms
received by the SRA.

4. The percentage of SRA investigations that are considered to have been conducted satisfactorily as measured by customer feedback forms.

5. The percentage of SRA investigations that have been forwarded to the Legal Services Ombudsman for further
consideration.

6. The percentage of complaints that resulted in a referal to the SDT.

You may wish to look at this request made recently by someone else to the LCS for a good format for your answers. The spreadsheets are particularly useful.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/pe...

Yours faithfully,

Spenser Poultney

PS - FYI The following independent survey is still open.

http://www.lcs-test.co.uk/SurveyF.htm

We are looking for any correlation with our results and your official performance figures.

Bob Stanley,

Dear Mr Poultney

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/338

Thank you for your email of 2 February 2010 requesting information under
the Law Society's Freedom of Information Code of Practice.

You have requested access to the following information:

I would be most grateful if you could provide me with the following
information, on an annual basis for the last three years:

1. The percentage of complaints against solicitors that have been
upheld by the SRA.

2. The percentage of complaints against large (Top 50) law firms
that have been upheld by the SRA.

3. The number of complaints against solicitors and law firms
received by the SRA.

4. The percentage of SRA investigations that are considered to have
been conducted satisfactorily as measured by customer feedback
forms.

5. The percentage of SRA investigations that have been forwarded to
the Legal Services Ombudsman for further
consideration.

6. The percentage of complaints that resulted in a referal to the
SDT.

The SRA is a part of the Law Society but acts independently in carrying
out its regulatory functions. The Law Society is not covered by the
Freedom of Information Act (the FOIA) as it is not a designated authority,
but has adopted its own voluntary Code of Practice which closely reflects
the FOIA (link below).

[1]http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/documents/d...

I am currently dealing with your request and will aim to respond formally
by 2 March 2010 which is 20 working days from the receipt of your request.

Yours sincerely

Bob Stanley
Information Compliance Manager - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (x4117)
f: 020 7320 5685
[2]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Joao Curro,

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Poultney

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/338

Further to my email of 2 February 2010, please find below the response to
your request for information under the Law Society Freedom of Information
Code of practice.

You have requested access to the following information:

I would be most grateful if you could provide me with the following
information, on an annual basis for the last three years:

1. The percentage of complaints against solicitors that have been
upheld by the SRA.

2. The percentage of complaints against large (Top 50) law firms
that have been upheld by the SRA.

3. The number of complaints against solicitors and law firms
received by the SRA.

4. The percentage of SRA investigations that are considered to have
been conducted satisfactorily as measured by customer feedback
forms.

5. The percentage of SRA investigations that have been forwarded to
the Legal Services Ombudsman for further
consideration.

6. The percentage of complaints that resulted in a referal to the
SDT.

Please find attached a spreadsheet with the figures you requested.

<<SRA Response.xls>>

I trust the above information resolves your request.

Yours sincerely

Bob Stanley
Information Compliance Manager - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (x4117)
f: 020 7320 5685
[1]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Spenser Poultney

Dear Joao Curro,

Thank you for the data.
Your figures suggest:-

FIRSTLY
=======

Only 2% (TWO PERCENT) of cases actually get referred to the SDT. This is REALLY low.

We hear rumours that MOST cases that fall into your 10% to 14% are actually dealt with by "expressing disapproval" (not even "stand in the corner" or "do lines") and that where solicitors ARE fined, the LCS/SRA do not (cannot) enforce the fines. Folks are asking ... just what IS the POINT?

ALSO
====

86% to 90% of complaints resulted in an unsatisfactory result for the complainant.

Only 8% of them went on to complain to the LSO

One has to hope, for the sake of the public, the recent High Court Ruling below ALSO applies to SRA staff and not merely LCS staff? The public have had a raw deal for too many decades now.

http://www.thelawyer.com/high-court-ruli...

I would take oath in ANY court and give evidence that I have SEEN the OSS, the CCS and the SRA deliberately cover up solicitor fraud.

I believe your statistics indicate a "lip service only" organisation whose TRUE agenda is NOT the one stated to parliament or the public.

Yours sincerely,

Spenser Poultney

fitForPurpose left an annotation ()

Dear Mr Poultney,

Thank you very much for requesting this information and publishing it on this site. I too have significant concerns about the apparently low rate of complaints upheld by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. I have recently presented the SRA with a complaint about a London law firm and have decided to publicise my experience of the complaint process in a blog.

The blog is at http://thomaseggarsracomplaint.blogspot.... and links back to this page containing your very revealing information.

Thanks again!