Legal Services Board withdraws diversity policy proposal

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has withdrawn its proposal for a statutory statement of policy aimed at addressing diversity and equality barriers within the legal profession. The decision follows a consultation period held between November 2025 and March 2026.

The original proposal would have required regulators to take strategic action to identify diversity barriers, ensure inclusive regulation, and drive cultural change through professional conduct frameworks. However, the LSB decided not to proceed after receiving feedback regarding the practicalities of implementation.

Key concerns raised during the consultation included the difficulty of adapting a single policy across various regulators with different statutory frameworks and operating models. Additionally, respondents noted that the resource impact on small firms with limited human resources infrastructure could be ‘significant’. The LSB acknowledged that meaningful change may require a range of approaches better suited to different sectors of the profession.