The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s decision to move to what it terms outcomes-focused regulation has plenty of detractors.

The idea of moving from a rulebook of hard and fast ‘dos and don’ts’, to regulation founded largely on just 10 broad ‘principles’, is anathema to many lawyers.

It is understandable, then, that many in the profession were hoping for detailed guidance of how to comply with the principles. But the SRA has made it clear that it will not be tempted down that path.

Lawyers may think that detailed rules give certainty, but in reality, you only have to look at the amount of nit-picking that goes on in relation to the precise meaning of the current rulebook to know that that simply is not the case.

The SRA acknowledges that at the moment, it spends too much time dealing with minor breaches. Under the new regime, the ‘prize’, as SRA chief executive Antony Townsend calls it, is that the regulator will be freed up to focus on the big issues. Staff numbers are expected to reduce, and so too will the SRA’s running costs, borne by the profession.

This latest consultation is the SRA’s third on OFR, and the regulator says it examined each of the 83 responses to the last one ‘with a fine tooth comb’.

Not all solicitors may agree on the direction of travel, but the SRA has genuinely done its best to carry the profession with it.