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"The lower threshold would be unfair on firms, said the Society, as they do not have the same powers as the SRA to obtain information"

This made me laugh. My experience of the SRA is that they only investigate to unearth evidence to support a complaint, and feel it is not their task to keep an open mind and possibly discover (and disclose) evidence undermining the complaint (yes - such a position was confirmed in writing).

Perhaps too the SRA can consider whether the powers of the SDT to punish those found guilty (a function more akin to criminal sanction rather than civil remedy) should be removed if a civil standard of proof is forced through.