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ARTICLE · 03 AUGUST 2026

The BSB Have Released AI Guidance. Should The SRA Follow Suit?

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The Bar Standards Board has issued comprehensive guidance on AI use by barristers, establishing clear obligations around transparency, supervision, and risk management. Just days later, a High Court judgment publicly reprimanded a major law firm for misleading the court through unchecked AI-generated content, raising urgent questions about whether the Solicitors Regulation Authority should follow suit with equivalent guidance for solicitors.

United KingdomTechnology
Martha Tyler
Martha Tyler
Emma Brooks
Emma Brooks

On 18 May 2026, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published its long-awaited guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies by barristers. The BSB has made clear that it supports the use of technologies, including AI, "where they are likely to benefit practice management, or the availability, quality or client experience of barristers' services" . 

Within days of its publication, the courts had illustrated precisely why such guidance is necessary. The judgment in Cork & Anor v Smith [2026] EWHC 1199 (Ch), handed down on 22 May 2026, saw a major law firm publicly scolded for misleading the court through the use of unchecked AI. This article considers whether the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can responsibly continue to leave solicitors without equivalent guidance. 

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