The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) will see a 25% budget increase next year due to a rise in prosecutions by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
- The 2025 budget will increase from £2.5m to £3.1m, with an estimated need for 300 sitting days compared to 260 in the application for 2024.
- Historical budget trends show that 2024 was an anomaly, with previous years’ budgets being approximately £3.1m despite fewer sitting days.
- The anticipated cases related to the Axiom Ince collapse and the Post Office scandal may further impact the 2026 budget.
- SDT President Alison Kellett highlighted significant procedural overhauls and plans for continuous improvement, including new summary judgments and enhanced training focusing on diversity and inclusion.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is expected to implement a 25% budget increase next year, attributed to a notable rise in case referrals from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Such an increase underscores the necessity for more tribunal sitting days, projected at 300 for 2025 compared to 260 for the previous year’s applications.
In context, the spike in the tribunal’s budget appears less extreme when considering recent fiscal patterns. With a tendency towards budgets of around £3.1m over earlier years, 2024 emerges as an exception rather than the norm. The figure for 2023 was higher, at £4.3m, primarily due to additional costs from the tribunal’s relocation.
Forecasts from the Legal Services Board (LSB) indicate potential further budget escalations for 2026, as imminent cases related to the Axiom Ince liquidation and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry might present additional financial burdens.
The SDT’s framework divides the budget into three key areas: member costs at 30%, administration at 48%, and operational expenses at 22%. Members are remunerated £595 per sitting day and half this rate for training days, yet face challenges with short-notice cancellations affecting financial stability.
President Alison Kellett has illustrated the SDT’s extensive updates over the past two years, including streamlined tribunal procedures and a shift in location, bolstered by advanced IT systems and personnel skill enhancement initiatives. These measures are part of a broader commitment to ongoing business improvement, which seeks to introduce contemporary summary judgments to provide early insights into rulings before full judgments are formally documented. Moreover, training now prioritises equality, diversity, and elimination of unconscious bias.
Despite advancements, challenges persist, notably with late agreements between the SRA and solicitors disrupting scheduled hearings. Such delays result in financial losses for tribunal members unable to secure replacement work, prompting revised compensation for lost days, albeit capped at two.
The Legal Services Board and the Law Society have both endorsed the proposed budget increase after thorough review, reflecting a consensus on the tribunal’s evolving needs and its strategic adaptation to increasing caseloads.
The SDT’s budget increase reflects its proactive approach to managing a growing number of cases and implementing significant procedural enhancements.
