A client's secrets stay secret: UK court draws a firm line

What you tell your lawyer stays protected — even when a regulator comes asking. That is the thrust of a UK High Court ruling in Carter-Ruck v SRA, which held that the Solicitors Regulation Authority cannot use its information-gathering powers to force a law firm to hand over documents covered by legal professional privilege without the client's consent. The court treated privilege as a fundamental right that only clear statutory wording can override. The regulator says it will appeal, but for now the line holds: confidential legal advice remains confidential.

SDG 16 · Peace, justice and strong institutions — Mechanism: legal ruling