The SRA has not banned AI. Its Misuse of AI warning notice of 17 August 2026 applies to every firm and individual it regulates. Solicitors and regulated individuals remain accountable for their work and outputs. The notice focuses on two risks: false or incorrect information, including citations, in court or other documents, and client confidentiality when information is entered into AI tools.
Published 10 November 2026. Updated 10 November 2026.
by Margo Legal. Published .
Margo Legal is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
What has the SRA published on AI?
The SRA has not banned AI. The Misuse of AI warning notice of 17 August 2026 is the main current document for this question. It is not a complete code of its own.
In date order, the Risk Outlook report on AI in the legal market is dated 20 November 2023. The Effective supervision guidance was updated on 12 June 2026 and includes a section on supervision and AI. An SRA news release accompanied the warning notice on 17 August 2026. SRA Update issue 154, from September 2026, points readers to the notice. A consultation on the Statement of Solicitor Competence is open until 23:59 on 3 December 2026 and includes proposed wording on technology and AI.
Does the SRA ban solicitors from using AI?
No. The warning notice says the SRA's outcomes-focused approach means firms have the freedom to use AI tools, provided they meet the SRA's standards. It also says AI has no separate legal personality.
The notice does not use the word "ban". Solicitors and regulated individuals remain accountable for their work and outputs, regardless of how that work has been prepared. The accompanying news release makes the same point: the use of AI does not change the professional standards expected of solicitors and law firms.
What does the Misuse of AI warning notice say?
The Misuse of AI warning notice, published on 17 August 2026, applies to every firm and individual the SRA regulates. It focuses on two risks: false or incorrect information, including citations, in court and other documents; and client confidentiality when information is entered into AI tools.
The notice says many solicitors and firms use AI safely and responsibly, but the SRA has identified cases involving misuse, particularly on inaccurate information and client confidentiality. A longer account of the same notice is in the SRA AI warning notice guide.
What does the SRA say about false citations and court documents?
The warning notice says AI tools can produce hallucinations, generating fictitious cases, references or seemingly factual assertions that may appear convincing despite having no basis in fact. It also says solicitors who mislead the court risk serious consequences, and that they should be assured that all submissions of named case law authorities are genuine, relevant and have a verifiable citation.
The notice adds that those who supervise work prepared by others may also be found to have breached regulatory requirements if false citations are put before the court without adequate review or supervision. It cites the Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs, RFLs and RSLs, including paragraphs 2.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
Can solicitors put client information into ChatGPT or other public AI tools?
The warning notice says client information should only be entered into AI systems where appropriate contractual, technical and organisational safeguards are in place. It warns that using public tools this way will likely breach client confidentiality, and that legal professional privilege may be permanently waived.
The notice records an Upper Tribunal observation that putting client letters into an open source AI tool, such as ChatGPT, is to place that information on the internet in the public domain. It also says both free to use and paid for AI systems may pose risks to confidentiality, depending on the provider's terms, settings and technical architecture. There is a related guide on client confidentiality before AI tools.
Who is accountable when AI is used?
The warning notice says AI has no separate legal personality. Solicitors and regulated individuals who use AI in the course of delivering legal services remain accountable for their work and outputs, regardless of how that work has been prepared.
The notice also says firms must have effective governance structures, systems and controls in place to manage any risks, including those arising from the use of AI, and it cites paragraph 2.1 of the Code of Conduct for Firms. The use of AI, the notice says, does not diminish or transfer professional responsibilities.
What has the SRA said about supervision and competence?
The warning notice says solicitors who supervise or manage others remain accountable for the work carried out through them and must supervise that work effectively. The Effective supervision guidance, updated on 12 June 2026, has a section on supervision and AI. It says outputs produced with the assistance of AI should have appropriate human review, scrutiny and professional judgement, and that an authorised individual retains ultimate responsibility for any legal services delivered with AI assistance.
The SRA is also consulting on updates to the Statement of Solicitor Competence, including proposed wording on technology, AI and supervision. That consultation is set out more fully on the competence statement and AI and how AI may be embedded in competence pages.
What has the SRA said about AI policy and controls?
The SRA has not published a model AI policy, and it does not prescribe a required list of policy headings. What it has said sits in the warning notice and in earlier material such as the Risk Outlook report of 20 November 2023.
The notice talks about meeting SRA standards, putting contractual, technical and organisational safeguards around client information, keeping human oversight and professional judgement, and having effective governance, systems and controls. The Risk Outlook report says firms remain responsible for meeting their regulatory obligations regardless of the technology they use, and it discusses governance, risk management, supervision and staff training. A one-page AI policy for a law firm sits on this site. It is not an SRA document.
What happens if a firm ignores the notice?
The warning notice says: "If you fail to have proper regard to this warning notice, you are at risk of disciplinary action. We can and will act where we find evidence that solicitors, firms and/or their employees contravene our rules."
The notice also points readers to the SRA's Enforcement Strategy for information about its approach to taking regulatory action. It does not set out a fixed list of outcomes that will follow in every case. This page does not add any enforcement consequence beyond what the notice itself states.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SRA's guidance on AI?
The SRA has not banned AI. Its Misuse of AI warning notice of 17 August 2026 applies to every firm and individual it regulates. Solicitors and regulated individuals remain accountable for their work and outputs.
Does the SRA ban solicitors from using AI?
No. The SRA says its outcomes-focused approach gives firms freedom to use AI tools if they meet the SRA's standards. Solicitors and regulated individuals remain accountable for the work.
What is the Misuse of AI warning notice?
A warning notice the SRA published on 17 August 2026. It applies to every firm and individual the SRA regulates and focuses on false or incorrect information, including citations, in court or other documents, and on client confidentiality.
Can solicitors enter client information into public AI tools?
The warning notice says client information should only be entered into AI systems where appropriate contractual, technical and organisational safeguards are in place. The SRA warns that using public tools this way will likely breach confidentiality, and that legal professional privilege may be permanently waived.
Who is responsible for AI-assisted work?
The notice says the solicitor or regulated individual remains accountable for the work and the output, however it was prepared. It also says AI has no separate legal personality, and that firms need effective governance, systems and controls for risks arising from the use of AI.
Does the SRA's supervision guidance mention AI?
Yes. The Effective supervision guidance, updated 12 June 2026, has a section on supervision and AI. It says AI-assisted work should have appropriate human review, scrutiny and professional judgement, and that an authorised individual retains ultimate responsibility.