Regulators urged to reassure firms after Mazur ruling
Legal regulators must immediately protect law firms that unknowingly violated statutes before a September court decision, a prominent barrister said on Thursday. Gregory Treverton-Jones argued that many practices allowed unauthorized employees to handle litigation without realizing they broke the law.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority should guarantee no prosecutions for unintentional violations before September 16, when Justice Sheldon ruled that employment at an authorized firm does not permit staff to conduct litigation. Treverton-Jones said regulators and court rules provided contradictory guidance, confusing firms.
The barrister called for clear definitions of litigation work and tasks that unauthorized personnel may perform. He criticized regulators for previous errors and urged swift action despite their typical reluctance to provide specific guidance.
CILEx Regulation agreed this week to grant amnesty to members who followed standard procedures before the ruling. The organization is hiring staff to process expected applications for litigation authorization and working with law schools to expand training capacity.
