Annual Report 2021

The SDT published its Annual Report for 2021 on 12 August 2022.

The Report shows that the SDT received a total of 136 applications in 2021, including 17 lay applications from members of the public against solicitors.  It sat for 239 days and 114 cases were concluded. 99% of cases were first listed for a substantive hearing within 6 months of issue.

There were 82.5 court days that were not effective due to adjournments – the most common reason being the ill health of the parties.

The average cost per court over the year was £12,894 compared to £10,989 in 2020. The main reason for this increase was because the SDT’s administrative expenses (which are largely fixed costs) were spread over 14 fewer hearing days in 2020 and the Tribunal undertook a Member recruitment campaign and incurred some one-off legal fees. The annual cost to the solicitors’ profession of the SDT was £19.67 per practising solicitor.