“Offensive” and “pejorative”: SRA warns lawyers about inappropriate use of social media

The SRA has warned solicitors about inappropriate emails and social media posts, with some of the worst offenders being fined thousands of pounds for inappropriate online behaviour. In the legal profession, where confidentiality and client privacy are of paramount importance, oversharing on social media could land lawyers in serious trouble - even more so if the posts are offensive in nature.

Paul Phillip, the chief executor of the SRA, said: “Public confidence in the profession is undermined by offensive or inappropriate communication and the misuse of social media can be a real problem.”

But Phillip also warned against inappropriate emails within law firms, including those to clients and colleagues. Particular offences include sexually explicit language, harassment, and threats.

The SRA was quick to stress that even if solicitors do not state their profession online, anything they post could still be traced back to them. The warning was not limited to qualified solicitors: “if you are a trainee solicitor, your conduct may in some circumstances have an impact on your entry into the profession.”

As more and more people take to social media to express themselves, the SRA has taken action by issuing penalties to posters of offensive content, with fines ranging from hundreds of pounds to £25,000 in more extreme cases. One solicitor was fined £25,000 and banned from practice for 12 months after writing a series of anti-semitic facebook posts.  Meanwhile, three solicitors from one firm were fined a total of £14,000 after exchanging “offensive” emails about a colleague.

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