Conditions on practising certificates and registration

Updated 10 July 2026

Conditions

If you are a solicitor, registered European lawyer (REL) or registered foreign lawyer (RFL), under certain circumstances, we can regulate the way you work by placing conditions on your practising certificate (PC) or registration. Some conditions restrict your ability to practise, and others outline steps you must follow.

We take into account the impact of any conditions we impose on the way you practise. Our primary concern is to protect the interests of the public.

How long conditions remain in place

A condition is generally imposed for the duration of the PC or registration. We can vary or revoke this during the PC or registration year.

When you apply for replacement of your PC or renewal of your registration, and you already have a condition imposed, we will reconsider whether it needs to remain on your PC or registration. Before we make our decision, you will have the opportunity to provide written representations and supporting evidence.

It is not uncommon for conditions to be re-imposed for two or three years, possibly longer. Our decision will depend on the circumstances and whether we consider conditions remain necessary in the public interest. We may also impose new conditions – even part way through the practising year.

A decision to impose a condition may be published.

What conditions mean to you

You have a duty to comply with any conditions we impose. If you fail to comply, we may take further regulatory action.

You may be able to appeal our decision.

Each time you apply to replace your PC or renew registration, we will review your position. We may decide to relax, lift or leave in place any conditions.

Decisions to impose conditions may be published. You can view our published regulatory and disciplinary outcomes and read our policy on publication of regulatory and disciplinary outcomes.

Applying for removal of conditions and your representations

You can apply for conditions to be removed from your practising certificate at any time during the practice year.

To do so, send your written representations and supporting evidence to our Practising Certificate and Renewal Team.

Examples of supporting evidence include (but are not limited to):

• References.
• Evidence of rehabilitation.
• Evidence that any financial matters have been satisfied.
• Evidence of any courses/training attended.
• Evidence demonstrating how the risk/s previously identified are now mitigated.

We will consider each application on an individual case by case basis.

Case study

A solicitor was charged with several criminal offences. The nature of the offences meant there was an identifiable risk to the public from allowing the solicitor to practise without any restriction. Conditions were therefore imposed during the practice year on their existing practising certificate to address that risk.

At the next annual replacement exercise, the charges were still pending trial and therefore the identified risk remained, and the conditions were imposed on the solicitor's new practising certificate.

A few months late, during the practice year, the solicitor was found not guilty in relation to all charges. The identified risk warranting the conditions therefore ceased to exist and we removed the conditions.

Conditions imposed by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal

The conditions we impose on your practising certificate may be different from those imposed by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

If we remove conditions from your practising certificate, you still need to comply with any conditions imposed by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal until such time as the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal decides to vary or revoke the order.

Conditions can only be removed by the body that imposed them. This means that if conditions were imposed by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, then you must apply directly to it for removal.

Appealing a decision to impose conditions

You can appeal a decision to impose conditions while your PC or registration is in force. You may invoke our internal review procedure before exercising your right of appeal to the High Court. The appeal period is 28 days from the date of the decision or such other time as the decision may specify. Your request for review must state clearly the reasons for your disagreement with our decision.

A request for review to us can have the following outcomes:

• We may vary the first instance decision.
• The decision on appeal might improve or worsen the outcome from your point of view.

Replacement and renewal

If your PC or registration is subject to conditions when you apply to replace or renew it, we must decide whether to:

• leave the conditions unchanged
• impose further or different conditions
• refuse your application, or
• grant you a new PC or registration free of conditions.

When making this decision, we review your position to see if the conditions can be amended to widen the scope within which you may practise.