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30 October 2019
Issue: 7862 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Regulatory , Technology , Data protection
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Bypassing the badge?

A solicitor is refusing to display the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) digital badge on the grounds it is an ‘illegal gimmick’ and fails to comply with data protection laws. 

All firms are required to display the badge on their website by 25 November, on pain of disciplinary action. Solicitor George Gardiner, of Gardiner & Co, however, has set out on his website a list of reasons why he’s not going to comply.

He disputes the SRA’s claim that the badge will ‘reduce fraud and enhance client protection’ and warns there is a risk the badge could be ‘subverted and misapplied’.

An SRA spokesperson said: ‘We do not have access, record or store any additional data such as IP addresses or page navigation behaviour. We do not collect data that would identify an individual.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott bolsters housebuilder expertise in Birmingham

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Firm adds former Simmons Simmons patent head to engineering and tech team

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

Freeths strengthens its voice in national disputes with ACTAPS committee appointment

NEWS
Pastries may be in the firing line while kebabs escape scrutiny, but the reality is far more nuanced
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dillon highlights a central tension in modern public law: rights may be recognised without being fully realised
A landmark ruling has delivered the first judicial application of the UK’s anti-SLAPP regime and provided fresh guidance on abusive litigation
Non-court dispute resolution is no longer an alternative in family law—it is rapidly becoming the norm
Some employment law controversies never disappear—they merely lie dormant
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