SRA restricts solicitors role, banning management, compliance duties and access to client funds
A solicitor has had strict conditions imposed on his practising certificate by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), preventing him from holding senior roles or handling client money.
Raghwinder Singh Siddhu, a solicitor formerly associated with SZ Solicitors Ltd in Hounslow, is now subject to a series of restrictions following a regulatory decision made on 17 December 2025 and published on 16 March 2026.
Under the conditions, Mr Siddhu is prohibited from acting as a manager or owner of any authorised legal practice. He may only work as a solicitor in an employed capacity, and only where that role has received prior approval from the SRA.
The regulator has also barred him from holding key compliance positions within a firm. He is not permitted to act as a compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) or as a compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA), roles that carry responsibility for ensuring firms meet regulatory and financial obligations.
In addition, the SRA has imposed financial restrictions on his practice. Mr Siddhu is not allowed to hold or receive client money, act as a signatory on client or office accounts, or authorise any transfers from such accounts.
The conditions effectively limit his ability to operate independently or exercise control over financial and regulatory aspects of legal practice.
The SRA stated that the measures were necessary in the public interest and proportionate to the circumstances of the case. The decision was made in line with Regulation 7 of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, as well as the broader regulatory objectives set out in the Legal Services Act 2007.
No further details of the underlying conduct leading to the restrictions were provided in the published decision.
Such conditions are typically imposed where the regulator considers that restrictions are required to mitigate risks to clients, maintain public confidence in the profession, or ensure proper oversight of a solicitor’s work.
By requiring SRA approval for any future employment, the regulator retains ongoing supervision of Mr Siddhu’s professional activities.
The decision forms part of the SRA’s wider enforcement approach, which allows it to impose targeted conditions on practising certificates where it considers that full suspension or more severe sanctions are not necessary.
The restrictions will remain in place for the 2025/2026 practising year unless varied or lifted by the regulator.