Solicitors Regulation Authority and Others

Case Summary

Mr Laing, a solicitor whose practising certificate was revoked, brought multiple claims against the Solicitors Regulation Authority and others alleging race and sex discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to two SRA investigations and the publication of articles by Mr Rose. The tribunal struck out all claims as having no reasonable prospect of success, dismissed some claims upon withdrawal, and struck out claims against Mr Rose for lacking legal basis under the Equality Act.

The tribunal struck out all claims against Mr Rose because he could not be established as an agent of the SRA and therefore had no potential liability under the Equality Act 2010. The remaining claims against the SRA and its employees were struck out as having no reasonable prospect of success, with the tribunal finding no viable factual or legal basis for the discrimination, harassment and victimisation allegations when assessed against the Equality Act requirements and the evidence before it.

Use these claim-type pages to compare this decision with other published tribunal cases, outcome patterns, and visible award data.

• •Whether Mr Rose could be liable under the Equality Act 2010 as an agent of the SRA or otherwise
• •Whether complaints about SRA investigations in 2019-2021 should be struck out as abuse of process (res judicata)
• •Whether claims have no reasonable prospect of success
• •Whether claims are scandalous or vexatious
• •Whether claims are within time limit
• •Permission to amend claims

RESERVED JUDGMENT WITH REASONS Case Numbers: 2410964/2023 2401896/2024 2403431/2024 2400031/2025 1 EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS Claimant: Mr I Laing Respondents: 1. Solicitors Regulation Authority 2. Lewis Chatterley 3. Neil Rose 4. Zoe Joynes 5. Nazma Bashir HELD AT: Manchester ON: 29 September 2025 BEFORE: Regional Employment Judge Franey (sitting alone) REPRESENTATION: Claimant: For the third Respondent: All other respondents: In person Mr E Stenson, Counsel Mr C McDevitt, Counsel RESERVED JUDGMENT 1. All claims in are dismissed upon withdrawal by the claimant. 2. All complaints of a breach of the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the issue or revocation of a practising certificate by the first respondent, or in relation to whether the claimant’s name appeared on the Roll of Solicitors maintained by the first respondent, are dismissed upon withdrawal by the claimant. 3. All claims against the third respondent Mr Rose are struck out because the claimant has no reasonable prospect of establishing that Mr Rose can be liable to him under the Equality Act 2010. RESERVED JUDGMENT WITH REASONS Case Numbers: 2410964/2023 2401896/2024 2403431/2024 2400031/2025 2 4. The complaints regarding investigations undertaken by the first respondent or its officers during 2019, 2020 and 2021 are not struck out as an abuse of process by reason of the doctrine of “res judicata”. 5. However, those complaints, and all remaining complaints against the first, second, fourth and fifth respondents are struck out as they have no reasonable prospect of success. 6. The applications to amend the claim made by the claimant on 25 February 2025, 14 March 2025 and 15 August 2025 are dismissed. 7. This means that all proceedings in these cases are at an end. REASONS Introduction 1. In these reasons I will refer to the first resp…