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11 February 2026
Issue: 8149 / Categories: Legal News , Regulatory , Legal services , Consumer
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Legal Services Board under the microscope

The ‘statutory remit’ of super-regulator the Legal Services Board (LSB) is to come under scrutiny in a government review

The review, launched by justice minister Sarah Sackman this week and due to report in the summer, will also consider the LSB’s ability to deliver its remit, its ‘strategic clarity’, governance and accountability arrangements. It will be led by Richard Lloyd, chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Law Society chief executive officer Ian Jeffery said: ‘It is an opportunity to speak up for proportionate risk-based regulation that protects consumers and helps the legal sector grow.’

Last month, the LSB, which oversees legal regulators, criticised the response of regulators to Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) as ‘varied in clarity and level of detail’. The case prompted confusion about the extent of litigation work that can be carried out by non-solicitors.

Sackman said: ‘We must ensure that the current regulatory oversight arrangements are effective and do not duplicate frontline regulators’ work and initiatives.’

Issue: 8149 / Categories: Legal News , Regulatory , Legal services , Consumer
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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