SRA await evidence linked to phone hacking scandal
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has still not been told the names of the 22 law firms alleged to have used private investigators implicated in the phone hacking scandal.
The firms are among 102 blue-chip companies listed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as clients of four investigators convicted of data offences last year. This does not mean that those firms were complicit in, or condoned, any illegal practices.
The SOCA list has been passed to the Home Affairs Select Committee on condition it remains confidential.
An SRA spokesperson says: “We are seeking to establish the position, but have not yet been provided with any evidence.
“We have requested information from SOCA on law firms who have allegedly been using private agencies involved in phone hacking and are awaiting their response.”
However, the Law Society has reassured firms that there is a “legitimate and proper role” for private investigators as long as no laws are broken.
A Law Society spokesperson said: “[Solicitors] must not break the law or conspire to do so. In using the services of a private investigator they must also comply with Data Protection regulations both domestically and internationally.”
Law firms often use private investigators to trace witnesses, identify hidden assets, serve court documents, or conduct background checks.
The Home Office intends to make it a criminal offence to operate as a private investigator without a licence next year, with penalties of up to £5,000 and six months in prison.
