A sharp rise in reports of professional misconduct is placing unprecedented pressure on regulatory investigation teams, prompting a fundamental review of how cases are assessed, prioritised, and prosecuted in the United Kingdom.
“Responding to this growing number of reports is placing significant pressure on our assessment and investigatory resources and current ways of working,” the Solicitors Regulation Authority said. “This comes as reports of misconduct and complaints increase across much of the regulatory landscape,” they added.
New data shows that in the six months ended April 2026, regulators reviewed 8,955 reports of potential misconduct, averaging nearly 1,500 new reports a month. This represents a 58% increase compared with the same period two years earlier (2023–24), reflecting a broader escalation in complaints across the regulatory landscape.
Of these, 1,322 reports were escalated for formal investigation after initial screening by the Assessment and Early Resolution Team (AERT), translating to around 220 referrals a month. The volume of referrals marks a 41% jump from two years ago, when an average of 156 cases were being passed to investigators.
As of 30 April 2026, the regulator was handling 1,844 ongoing investigations linked to allegations of misconduct.
‘We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in the reports we receive, putting significant pressure on our approach and resources,” Jonathan Peddie, Executive Director for Investigations, Enforcement and Litigation, said.
“In the short term, we have diverted resources from elsewhere, but this isn’t sustainable as we need strength in all areas. As outlined in our recently published draft Business Plan, we need to consider a range of fundamental changes to the way we work in response to this changing dynamic. This will ensure we can continue to protect the public and uphold confidence in legal services,” he added.
The spike in complaints has fed directly into the regulator’s draft 2026/27 Business Plan, currently out for consultation. The plan proposes clearer, faster, and more proportionate outcomes by refocusing investigations and enforcement activity on areas that most effectively protect the public and maintain confidence in legal services.
In the immediate term, resources have been reallocated to manage the surge, while a comprehensive review of the end-to-end investigations and enforcement process is underway. This spans the entire lifecycle of a case—from the first report or referral, through the threshold for investigation, to final outcomes before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
The aim, according to officials, is to ensure that cases requiring investigation are handled promptly and proportionately, that ongoing reviews reassess whether matters should continue, and that only the right cases proceed to tribunal hearings.
The draft plan also outlines proposals to strengthen day-to-day delivery, including better use of technology and data analytics to support quicker and more consistent decision-making.
Not all contacts received by the regulator result in misconduct reviews. Thousands of annual complaints fall outside its remit—such as service-related grievances—which are redirected to bodies like the Legal Ombudsman. Regulators also note that multiple reports can relate to the same firm or individual, or form part of a wider, consolidated investigation.
For perspective, despite the growing caseload, the regulator oversees more than 180,000 individual solicitors and around 9,000 law firms, underscoring the scale of the challenge as misconduct reporting continues to rise.
