SRA Standards and Regulations

Professional and organisational requirements

You must ensure that: the firm and each relevant employee possesses appropriate knowledge and ability in order to complete their tasks and perform duties adequately; and that all the persons in its management structure and any staff directly involved in insurance distribution activities are of good repute. In considering a person's good repute, you must as a minimum ensure that the person: has...

Disclosure of information

Where you undertake credit-related regulated financial services activities for a client, you must ensure that information in connection with such activities and any agreements to which they relate are communicated to the client in a way that is clear, fair and not misleading. Where you carry on the activity of credit broking, you must indicate in any advertising and documentation intended for...

Fee disclosure: additional requirements

Where a fee is payable, you must inform the client of the amount of the fee before the client incurs liability to pay the fee, or before conclusion of the contract of insurance, whichever is earlier. To the extent that it is not possible for the amount in rule 17.1 to be given, you must give the client the basis for its calculation. This rule applies to all such fees that may be charged during...

Treating complaints fairly

Notwithstanding your complaints handling obligations in the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms, you must have in place and operate appropriate and effective procedures for registering and responding to complaints from a person who is not a client.

Malpractice and improper conduct

In these Regulations the term 'malpractice' refers to any activity carried out by a candidate (whether or not done intentionally) which could result in either the candidate or a fellow candidate obtaining an unfair and/or undue advantage in connection with the SQE. "Improper conduct" refers to any disruptive activity carried out by a candidate before, during or after any assessment (whether or...

Time Limits and Attempts

Subject to regulation 7.4, candidates have six years from the date they first sat an SQE assessment to sit the remaining SQE assessments. Candidates who still have further assessments to sit at the end of this six year period will need to reapply and previous passes will not be carried forward. Subject to Regulation 7.4, a candidate who fails FLK1 and/or FLK2 at the first attempt will have two...

Fit to sit

A 'Fit to Sit' Policy operates for the SQE. Candidates who present themselves for any part of the SQE will be required to sign a declaration that they are fit to sit the assessment. Being 'Fit to Sit' means that the candidate knows of no reason why their performance would be adversely affected during the assessment or why they may subsequently bring a claim for mitigating circumstances.

SQE2

SQE2 will test oral and written legal skills in accordance with the Assessment Specification for SQE2. In order to pass SQE2 candidates must obtain the overall pass mark for SQE2. The pass mark for SQE2 will be set in accordance with the SQE Marking and Standard Setting Policy.

Applications

An application made under the SRA's regulatory arrangements must be made in writing, where appropriate, in the prescribed form correctly completed, and be accompanied by: any prescribed fee or charge; and any information and documents which may be prescribed, or reasonably requested by the SRA. If you make an application to the SRA, you do not need to submit all payments, information, and...

Notices

Any notice under the SRA's regulatory arrangements must be given in writing by delivering it, or sending it by post or by electronic mail, to the recipient's last notified postal or electronic mail address, as appropriate. If the intended recipient of a notice is represented, the notice may instead be given by sending or delivering it to the representative's practising or business address, or...