Lawyers want to avoid ‘unfair’ drink-driving fines after regulator falls

Lawyers will be able to avoid “unfair” fines for drink-driving after a setback from the UK’s legal watchdog.

The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) has revealed plans to remove financial penalties for solicitors criminally convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Solicitors convicted of drink-driving offenses currently face two fines: once by the criminal court and again by the SRA.

The SRA said the fines aim to ensure lawyers behave with integrity and promote public confidence in the legal profession, rather than duplicating criminal proceedings.

The regulator, which oversees the professional conduct of around 200,000 lawyers in England and Wales, said the sanctions were “no longer appropriate”.

Instead, it proposes handing responsibility for the most serious drink-driving cases to the independent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), which has wider powers.

The proposed change comes after the regulator’s sanctions were criticized as “unfair” after recent changes allowed it to tailor fines to lawyers’ salaries.

Critics have highlighted the SRA’s decision in January to fine solicitor Richard Lunn nearly £14,000 for exceeding the limit – more than 31 times the £437 fine imposed on Mr Lunn by the criminal court.

They also highlighted the £10,000 fine imposed on Piers King, a solicitor at City law firm Farrer & Co, after he was found guilty of drink-driving.

The SRA’s penalties were much higher than previous drink-driving fines, which were typically around £2,000.

The SDT can still fine lawyers for drink driving in serious cases, although penalties are based on fixed ranges and are not calculated as a percentage of their income.

In consultation papers released on Friday, the SRA said it had “reviewed and reflected” its drink-driving penalties after receiving feedback from stakeholders on the levels of fines previously imposed on solicitors.

He said that while issuing a warning or reprimand is often the appropriate response to drink-driving convictions, more serious cases should be referred to the SDT.