Legal Ethics CPD for Solicitors and Barristers in England and Wales

Legal ethics CPD is not a fixed number of hours for most lawyers in England and Wales, but it is not optional either. Solicitors have no minimum CPD hours and must instead keep their competence up to date and declare each year that they understand their ethical obligations. Barristers in their first three years of practice must complete at least three hours of ethics as part of the New Practitioner Programme. Established barristers must plan, record and declare their CPD, but the Bar Standards Board does not prescribe topics or hours. This guide covers England and Wales only; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules.

Quick reference: what each regulator requires

Solicitors: continuing competence, not CPD hours

According to a thematic review published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), its approach to continuing competence became compulsory for all solicitors on 1 November 2016. It replaced the older requirement to complete a set number of CPD hours each year. Today the SRA says on its continuing competence FAQs page that there is no minimum requirement for hours, and that you can choose the activities that suit you, such as webinars, events, training courses, guidance or learning from colleagues.

What the SRA does require is set out in the Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs. Paragraph 3.3 says: "You maintain your competence to carry out your role and keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date." The SRA describes the process as reflecting on the quality of your practice (including your ethical and professional obligations), identifying learning needs, planning and addressing them, recording what you did, and evaluating how effective it was.

The continuing competence year follows the practising year, which runs from 1 November to 31 October. When you renew your practising certificate you must declare that you have an up to date understanding of the legal, ethical and regulatory obligations relevant to your role. You must also confirm that you have addressed your learning needs and are competent to do your job.

The statement of solicitor competence

The SRA's statement of solicitor competence sets out the competences it requires of all solicitors. It has four headings, and the first is "Ethics, professionalism and judgment". The SRA says the page was updated on 9 August 2022. The same framework is what aspiring solicitors are tested against through the SQE, which we cover in our guide to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

What the SRA does not currently require

In its 2026 annual assessment of continuing competence, published on 20 August 2026, the SRA states that solicitors are not currently required to record their learning and development, although a template is available. The same document says the SRA expects solicitors to regularly reflect on all aspects of their practice and to identify, understand and apply relevant guidance. The SRA says it does not specify a retention period for training records.

Possible change: mandatory ethics discussions for solicitors

This is a proposal, not a rule. The SRA ran a consultation from 22 April 2026 to 15 July 2026 on strengthening its approach. As published, the proposals would:

• require solicitors to keep a record of their learning and development, kept for a minimum of three years, with a declaration at practising certificate renewal;
• require a minimum total of three hours of discussions on professional ethics each year, facilitated by a qualifying solicitor with at least three years since admission and no regulatory or disciplinary record with the SRA, in groups of 3 to 12 people, and not purely lectures;
• give the SRA a power to require some or all solicitors to complete specific learning where it identifies a competence concern.

The consultation page says the SRA will analyse responses and decide how to proceed, and that any rule change needs Legal Services Board approval. The proposed rules would start in the 2027/28 practising year, with the first ethics declaration in 2028. The annual assessment adds that some solicitors "have not demonstrated that they have carried out regular learning and development relating to ethics", which is the SRA's stated reason for focusing here.

Barristers: the BSB's two CPD programmes

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) splits CPD into two stages, and ethics is only prescribed in the first.

New Practitioner Programme (NPP)

The NPP must be completed within your first three calendar years of holding a practising certificate after any pupillage year. According to the BSB, it requires at least 45 hours of CPD during the three-year period, which "must include at least nine hours on advocacy and at least three hours on ethics". The Inns and Circuits run advocacy and ethics courses, and you do not have to attend those of your own Inn or Circuit. You declare whether you are up to date through the annual Authorisation to Practise process, and you must produce a written CPD plan and record of completed CPD if asked.

Established Practitioners Programme (EPP)

The EPP applies each calendar year once you have completed the NPP. The BSB says it does not prescribe what CPD activities you need to complete or how much, so there is no mandatory ethics component. You must instead:

• prepare a written CPD plan with learning objectives and planned activity types for the year;
• keep a written record of the CPD you complete, and record your reflection and any variations from your plan;
• retain your plan and records for three years;
• submit an annual declaration of CPD completion.

The BSB says it does not operate an extension, waiver or exemption process for the EPP. If circumstances such as parental leave or ill health mean you do little or no CPD, you record that in your plan.

Why ethics still matters when no hours are set

Both regulators build ethics into their core standards, so ethics learning supports your wider duties even where no hours are specified. The SRA Principles, in effect from 11 April 2025, include acting with honesty, acting with integrity, and acting in the best interests of each client. The BSB Handbook (version 5.0, in force from 15 June 2026) contains ten Core Duties. They include CD1, the duty to the court in the administration of justice, CD3, to act with honesty and integrity, CD6, to keep client affairs confidential, and CD7, to provide a competent standard of work and service.

Topics that regularly raise ethical questions include undertakings, conflicts of interest, confidentiality and the use of AI tools. We have separate guides on undertakings, risk and compliance for solicitors and on the SRA warning notice on the misuse of AI. Both are practical examples of the reflection the SRA expects. Our CPD hub collects our guides on professional training requirements. A short log of your reflections, including at least one ethics topic a year, is sensible even where it is not mandatory.

Frequently asked questions

Do solicitors have to do 16 hours of CPD?

No. The SRA's continuing competence approach became compulsory on 1 November 2016 and replaced the older hours-based requirement. The SRA says there is no minimum requirement for hours.

Is ethics training mandatory for solicitors?

Not at present. You must keep your understanding of legal, ethical and regulatory obligations up to date and declare it at renewal, but the SRA does not require a particular ethics course. A requirement for annual ethics discussions has been proposed and is awaiting the SRA's decision.

Is ethics training mandatory for barristers?

Only for those on the New Practitioner Programme, who must complete at least three hours on ethics. The BSB sets no ethics requirement for the Established Practitioners Programme.

Can I get an extension or exemption?

The SRA says it cannot grant extensions to the continuing competence requirement. The BSB says it does not operate an extension, waiver or exemption process for the EPP.

How long should I keep CPD records?

Barristers on the EPP must keep their plan and records for three years. The SRA does not currently specify a retention period for solicitors, though it has proposed a three-year minimum.

Closing thoughts

For most lawyers in England and Wales, legal ethics CPD is a matter of honest reflection and keeping evidence, not counting hours. The clear exceptions are new barristers, who have a three-hour ethics requirement, and solicitors, who may soon face one. Check the SRA and BSB websites for the current position, as both regulators are actively reviewing their approach.

This article is general information only and is not legal, regulatory or compliance advice. Requirements change, so always check the current rules with the SRA or the Bar Standards Board.