CEL Responds to Legal Services Board Consultation on Legal Ethics

29 May 2025

The Centre for Ethics and Law (CEL) has published its response to the Legal Services Board (LSB) consultation on upholding professional ethical duties in the legal sector. Drawing on CEL’s multidisciplinary expertise and the insights of its academic members and advisory panel, the response offers a considered and detailed engagement with the LSB’s aim to protect and, where appropriate, strengthen ethical standards in the profession.

The response identifies five key themes:

• Behavioural change in a complex environment

• Role identity

• Transparency

• Education and training

• The need for an overriding duty

To support meaningful and lasting adherence to ethical duties, the paper proposes the creation of a Legal Ethics and Responsibility Network (LEARN). This initiative would bring together regulators, practitioners, and academics from across disciplines to share best practice, develop training resources and toolkits, and provide evidence-based policy insights. LEARN would also act as a focal point for open dialogue on emerging risks and responsibilities in legal ethics.

The paper also discusses key considerations when looking at questions of behavioural change, which will be of interest beyond the discussion of the professional ethical duties. These include the creation of ethical organisational cultures, the design and delivery of speak up processes, structuring effective education and training programmes and supporting open reporting.

Find out more

Read the full publication: CEL Response to the Legal Services Board Consultation on Upholding Professional Ethical Duties