No ‘hired guns’, SRA warns

Solicitors have been issued with a stern warning not to become ‘hired guns’ when engaged in litigation. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) this week refreshed its Balancing Duties in Litigation paper on professional misconduct. While solicitors have a duty to act in the best interests of clients, they also have obligations to the courts, third parties and to the public interest, and must act with integrity and uphold the rule of law. SRA chief executive Paul Philip gave as an example of misconduct ‘including clauses in non-disclosure agreements which seek to prevent lawful disclosure of harassment or discrimination’.