An eight week consultation has been launched by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) inviting views on proposed updates to the Statement of Solicitor Competence (SoSC) and functioning legal knowledge (FLK).
Announcing the consultation the SRA said as the sector evolves, there are “new ways of delivering services and emerging risks and opportunities shaping the profession.” Updates proposed in the consultation are “designed to make sure the competence statement continues to reflect modern practice while maintaining the high standards the public expects” added the regulator.
The SoSC defines the standards of competence expected of all solicitors, while FLK sets out the core legal principles and rules that all Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) candidates must understand and apply.
Introduced in April 2015, the SoSC replaced the previous continuing professional development (CPD) regime requiring solicitors to demonstrate 16 hours learning and development annually. In April the SRA consulted on Strengthening our continuing competence approach identifying three potential routes to update the Continuing Competence regime: introduce a requirement to record learning and development needs and how they are addressed; introduce a requirement for solicitors to complete mandatory ethics training annually; and proposing a rule enabling the regulator to mandate learning and development where competence concerns are identified.
The competence statement currently includes the Statement of Solicitor Competence itself, the Statement of Knowledge outlining functioning legal knowledge required , and he threshold standard defining levels of competency. The SRA is consulting on how the impact of use of technology and AI might affect the regime with “strong consensus” the SoSC needs to “explicitly reflect the use of technology including AI as it is relevant to both the ethical and technical legal practice of solicitors” says the consultation. Updates to supervision, health and wellbeing and professional conduct and ethics are also included alongside proposed changes to the FLK to add clarity, or add or remove content
The proposed changes have been drawn up following feedback with nearly 150 solicitors, law firms, educators, representative bodies and academics. The proposals will now be subject to an eight-week consultation period, during which the SRA will engage further to develop the final updates.
Beth Black, SRA Director of Education and Training, said: “Every day, people and businesses place their trust in solicitors, relying on them to provide expert advice, protect their interests, uphold their rights and help them navigate important decisions and challenges. They should be confident that the solicitors they turn to have the knowledge, skills and professional judgement to provide a competent service.
“The Statement of Solicitor Competence is an important foundation for that confidence. It sets out the standards expected of solicitors and provides a clear, shared understanding of what competent practice looks like across the profession. The functioning legal knowledge is essential in that it sets out the core legal knowledge that all SQE candidates must understand and apply.
“By keeping the framework up to date, we can help make sure it remains a practical and relevant tool for solicitors, employers and educators, while continuing to support the high standards and public confidence on which the profession depends. We want to hear a wide range of views on the proposed changes so that the final framework remains clear, robust and fit for the future.”
The consultation is open now and will run until 3 December. The SRA said it will be engaging directly with a wide range of stakeholder during this period. The new competence statement and FLK will be published in April 2027 and will be effective from September 2027
Review of the Statement of Solicitor Competence and the SQE Functioning Legal Knowledge
