The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today announced that it will be conducting a regulatory review following the High Court judgment in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys.
In a statement posted on the 13 October, the LSB said the Mazur judgment does not change the law under the Legal Services Act 2007. However, it has prompted discussion about how the reserved legal activity of conducting litigation has been interpreted and applied.
At the Legal Wales Conference on 10 October 2025, a representative from the Bar Standards Board explained the regulators had met senior executives from all relevant approved regulators and representative bodies on the 9 October. The LSB’s statement on the website elaborated:
“At our meeting, we emphasised that lawyers and legal professionals conducting litigation need clear and accurate information. Furthermore, all regulated individuals must work within their authorised scope of practice. We stressed the importance of collaboration between the relevant bodies to ensure a consistent approach across the sector.
“The attendees agreed to work together on these issues. They also told us that they had reviewed their current guidance. If needed, they had issued more advice to provide clear and accurate information.”
The LSB noted it had received an application from CILEx Regulation to enable its regulated community to obtain standalone litigation practice rights. The LSB has published the application on its website and is ‘prioritising the application within our statutory process’.
Regulatory review
To establish what happened, the LSB announced it will undertake a review to examine how approved regulators and regulatory bodies ensured that information on conducting litigation was accurate and reliable.
The statement said ‘our review will help us all learn lessons and maintain clarity and confidence in the regulatory framework.’
Law Society of England and Wales president Mark Evans responded:
“While the judgment does not change the statutory requirements relating to authorised conduct of litigation as a reserved legal activity, it is important that there is clarity across all regulators and that consistent guidance is being provided to the professions.
“This guidance needs to be available quickly, so our members can review their processes and adapt them as necessary.”
For further information and updates on the LSB’s review, click here.
