UK: SRA Now Expects Law Firms to Create Environments Where People Can Raise Concerns Safely
MBL Seminars' "Mental Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace — 2026 Virtual Conference" (July 25) included a session specifically addressing the SRA's regulatory expectations on psychological safety in law firms — including the explicit statement that "the SRA now expects firms to create environments where people can raise concerns, challenge behaviour and speak up safely without fear of negative con
BY FRONTIER DESK · JULY 29, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
MBL Seminars' "Mental Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace — 2026 Virtual Conference" (July 25) included a session specifically addressing the SRA's regulatory expectations on psychological safety in law firms — including the explicit statement that "the SRA now expects firms to create environments where people can raise concerns, challenge behaviour and speak up safely without fear of negative consequences." The session addressed why traditional legal cultures often struggle with psychological safety, how firms can recognize early signs of poor mental health, how to understand the financial impact of burnout, and how to build trauma-informed cultures. The SRA framing is significant for regulatory compliance purposes: psychological safety is no longer a culture aspiration — it is an organizational governance expectation that the regulator will consider when assessing firm culture under the Solicitors Code. For compliance and risk officers, the practical implication is that a psychological safety audit is now part of the firm's regulatory risk profile, not just its HR strategy.