Part of the AI Regulation News hub.
The SRA is consulting on AI and supervision references in the Statement of Solicitor Competence
This is a proposal. The SRA says it is not seeking a change to rules, and it gives September 2027 only as the date any changes would take effect after the consultation.
Bottom line: This is a consultation, a proposal that binds no one. The SRA asks for views by 23.59 on 3 December 2026 on adding technology and AI references to the Statement of Solicitor Competence.
Who this affects: Solicitors in England and Wales who supervise others, firm training leads, and SQE training providers.
Issue date: 8 October 2026.
What changed: The SRA opened the consultation and proposes AI references in three existing areas: ethics, professionalism and judgement; technical legal practice; and supervision. Nothing is adopted.
Analysis: Our reading: the SRA places AI inside existing competences and does not create a separate AI competence, and it says it is not seeking a rule change. September 2027 is the consultation's conditional timetable, not an adopted date.
- Instrument (English)
- Review of the Statement of Solicitor Competence and the SQE Functioning Legal Knowledge
- Authority
- Solicitors Regulation Authority
- Jurisdiction
- England and Wales
- Status
- Open consultation
- Bindingness
- Not applicable (non-binding proposal). The SRA says it is not seeking a change to rules or regulatory arrangements
- Issue date
- 8 October 2026 (consultation deadline: 23.59 on 3 December 2026)
- Effective date
- None adopted. Conditional only: the consultation says any changes would then come into effect in September 2027, after final versions are published in April 2027. This is separate from the consultation deadline
- What changed
- The SRA opened a consultation proposing technology and AI references in three existing areas of the Statement of Solicitor Competence
- Who this affects
- Solicitors in England and Wales who supervise others, firm training leads, and SQE training providers
- Primary source
- https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/consultations/consultation-listing/review-competence/
- Workflow impact
- Not stated in the source
- Operational next step
- Not stated in the source beyond how to respond to the consultation
- Last verified
- 2026-10-24
Primary source: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/consultations/consultation-listing/review-competence/
- The consultation closes at 23.59 on 3 December 2026.
- The proposed AI references sit in ethics, professionalism and judgement; technical legal practice; and supervision.
- The SRA's current view is that a standalone technology competence is not necessary.
- September 2027 is the conditional timetable for any changes, after final versions in April 2027.
What is the SRA consulting on?
Proposed changes to the Statement of Solicitor Competence (SoSC) and the Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK), both of which the SRA says underpin the content of the SQE. The SRA adds that solicitors also use the SoSC as part of its continuing competence requirements.
What does the consultation say about AI and technology?
It proposes AI references inside three existing areas. The SRA says: "it is not necessary to introduce a standalone technology competence."
- Ethics, professionalism and judgement: maintaining competence and knowledge to practise effectively, taking into account developments in technology including AI.
- Technical legal practice: research and drafting, in seeking to address concerns about AI hallucinations in legal work and submissions to the court.
- Supervision: competence rests not only with solicitors using technology and AI, but with solicitors who supervise or manage others and have oversight and responsibility for work being done.
The SRA also proposes a separate section on effective supervision, and says the Court of Appeal's judgment in Mazur and Others has put a spotlight on supervision.
What is the timetable, and what is only conditional?
Only the consultation window is fixed. The later dates are the SRA's stated plan after it has analysed responses, and September 2027 is conditional on that outcome.
| Date | Event, on the SRA's account | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 8 October 2026 | Consultation opens | Occurred |
| 23.59 on 3 December 2026 | Consultation closes | Deadline |
| April 2027 | SRA says it will publish its response and final versions | Planned |
| September 2027 | Any changes would then come into effect | Conditional |
| January 2028 | SQE1 assessments, which the SRA says follow the changes | Planned |
What is the consultation not doing?
It is not seeking a rule change, and it proposes no change to the Threshold Standard. The SRA says the Standards and Regulations are the binding rules and that it takes care "not to introduce a new obligation into the SoSC which should more properly sit in our Standards and Regulations."
FAQ
Is the proposed change to the competence statement in force?
No. It is an open consultation that closes at 23.59 on 3 December 2026.
Is September 2027 an adopted effective date?
No. It is the consultation's conditional timetable: the SRA says any changes would then come into effect, after it publishes final versions in April 2027.
Is the SRA proposing a standalone technology competence?
No. The SRA's current view is that "it is not necessary to introduce a standalone technology competence."
Does the consultation change the SRA's rules?
The SRA says: "We are not seeking a change to rules or regulatory arrangements."
What we did not verify
What we opened: the SRA consultation page text, on 24 October 2026. Every quotation comes from that page.
What we did not open: the downloadable consultation paper, the draft SoSC and FLK wording, the annexes, the questions after Question 1, and the Mazur judgment.
What we refuse to claim: that any change is adopted, that September 2027 is certain, what the proposed wording says, or what the SRA will decide.
The SRA proposes AI references in three areas of the competence statement and invites responses until 23.59 on 3 December 2026. Nothing is adopted.
Related briefings
Source File
Primary: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/consultations/consultation-listing/review-competence/
Secondary: None used.
Last checked against primary source: 24 October 2026 (UTC)
Status: Open consultation; no adopted change.
Editorial note: Informational analysis for working professionals, not legal advice. Confirm how any rule applies to your situation with qualified counsel.
Informational analysis for working professionals, not legal advice. Confirm how any rule applies to your situation with qualified counsel.
Sponsored Training
Practical AI training for regulated professionals, built around verification, documentation and a defensible process. See the courses.