Regulator blocks practising certificate application for 2025/2026 practice year
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has refused an application for a practising certificate submitted by a solicitor linked to a law firm in Stockport. A regulatory decision published on 8 May 2026 confirmed that the application for a practising certificate for the 2025/2026 practice year was denied following an SRA decision dated 1 April 2026.
The decision relates to a solicitor associated with S J Legal Limited, which is based at 119-123 Wellington Road, Stockport, SK1 3TH. According to the published outcome notice, the refusal was made “without prejudice to any other matters and/or issues”. The regulator stated that the solicitor’s conduct posed “a risk to the public interest and the trust the public places in the provision of legal services”.
The SRA said the decision was taken having regard to the regulatory objectives set out in the Legal Services Act 2007, as well as the regulator’s own regulatory arrangements. A refusal to grant a practising certificate prevents a solicitor from practising law in England and Wales during the relevant practice year unless the decision is overturned or a future application is approved.
The SRA regulates solicitors and law firms across England and Wales and has powers to impose conditions, refuse applications, and take disciplinary action where it considers regulatory standards have not been met or where there are concerns linked to public protection.
The published notice does not provide further details about the conduct concerns that led to the refusal. No allegations of criminal wrongdoing were included in the decision notice. Regulatory decisions involving practising certificates form part of the SRA’s wider oversight of the legal profession. The regulator regularly publishes enforcement outcomes involving solicitors, law firms, and non-lawyer managers where it believes publication is necessary in the public interest.
The Legal Services Act 2007 requires approved regulators such as the SRA to act in a way that protects and promotes the public interest, supports the constitutional principle of the rule of law, and maintains public confidence in legal services.