The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have published proposals which they hope will make it easier for law firms to develop new ideas and new thinking. Following their launch of “SRA Innovate” in spring, they are now looking at how they can streamline the waiver process and to set out clear criteria to help firms to know what might be possible and to publish any waivers granted so as to ensure fairness and transparency.

In a further step to encourage new services while ensuring proper safeguards for the public are in place, the SRA are also proposing further developments to their “Innovation Space” in the hope of encouraging firms to try even more innovative ways of providing services that could benefit the public and small businesses.

The proposals include a ‘no enforcement tool’ in line with the approach taken at, for example, the Civil Aviation Authority, which has allowed the testing of drones for parcel delivery, although this breaches its current rules.

The SRA have published a consultation which can be found at www.sra.org.uk/sra/consultations/enabling-innovation.page. The deadline for responses is 8 March 2017.