Law Society launches second iteration of in-house ethics framework with new whistleblowing guidance
News
The Law Society of England and Wales and Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre (IDEA) have launched the second iteration of the ethical practice framework for in-house solicitors.
Following an extensive consultation*, this introduces new resources including draft whistleblowing guidance developed in partnership with leading whistleblowing charity Protect.
Whistleblowing was identified as a key priority for in-house solicitors. Responding to this need, the Law Society worked with Protect, to produce whistleblowing guidance for in-house solicitors.
A whistleblowing policy model template has also been created for organisations to adopt or use to review their existing process.
Law Society president, Mark Evans, said: “I’d like to thank all members who engaged with the in-house ethics framework since its launch and helped us introduce several enhancements in the second iteration.
“Whistleblowing is a key plank in a resilient ethical organisational culture. However in-house solicitors’ duty to whistleblow could come into conflict with client confidentiality, making it difficult to know whether to report wrongdoing.**
“The Law Society is committed to supporting in-house solicitors fulfil their professional obligations and enhance their ethical practice. By providing practical and adaptable resources, we are helping our members to create change in real-world organisational contexts.
“It is essential we stand together as a profession to advocate for and support in-house solicitors navigating ethical challenges.”
Dr Jim Baxter, professional ethics consultancy team leader at the IDEA Centre said: “We, the public, need whistleblowers to call attention to wrongdoing so that things can be put right. But whistleblowing is rarely, if ever, easy. Whistleblowers can find themselves facing unemployment, legal costs, or ostracism from colleagues who see them as disloyal. In-house solicitors can feel stuck between a rock and a hard place: as well as all the difficulties any whistleblower faces, they may also risk breaching a professional duty of client confidentiality.
“The first version of our ethical practice framework for in-house solicitors already contained some provisions designed to make things easier; in this second version, we’ve partnered with Protect, the whistleblowing experts, to approach whistleblowing head-on. Whistleblowing for in-house solicitors is never going to be easy or simple, but we hope these resources will go some way to support those who want to serve the public interest by standing up against wrongdoing.”
Sybille Raphael, joint chief executive at Protect, added: “This guidance is vital as in-house lawyers can face competing demands which are not easily reconciled. They face unique challenges in carrying out their duties to uphold the rule of law and report wrongdoing they are aware of, while also providing confidential, privileged legal advice to their client.
Protect has more than 30 years’ experience of working with whistleblowers and organisations who want to improve their whistleblowing systems and speak up cultures.
“We are proud to have produced this guidance to support the trust that businesses have in their solicitors and the confidence that the UK’s business environment is stable, transparent and underpinned by a strong rule of law. Whistleblowing is an essential component of this.”
The second iteration of the ethical practice framework for in-house solicitors has a range of practical tools including:
- template action plans accompanying the existing guides on working effectively as an in-house solicitor and on influencing and embedding ethical culture within an organisation
- face-to-face training materials enabling practitioners to use interactive scenarios in team workshops or training sessions
- guidance on how to position the framework with employers, helping solicitors make the case for an empowered legal function, and
- an interactive ethical scenario set in local government
Notes to editors
*The Law Society engaged with over 220 members via events and written submissions from 14 May 2025 to 1 September 2025.
**Recognising the complexity of whistleblowing law and tensions rising from client confidentiality and legal privilege for solicitors considering whistleblowing, the Law Society is launching these resources for consultation to gather further practitioner feedback until 25 January 2026.
Full details on what has changed in the second iteration of the framework can be found here.
Read the Law Society’s whistleblowing guidance for in-house solicitors.
About the Law Society
The Law Society is celebrating 200 years of supporting solicitors in England and Wales.
It is the independent professional body that works globally to support and represent solicitors, promoting the highest professional standards, the public interest and the rule of law.
About the IDEA Centre
The IDEA Centre is an academic centre and consultancy based at the University of Leeds, with extensive experience of working with professional bodies and their members, helping them to define and embed ethical principles through a hands-on, practical approach.
About Protect
Protect is the UK’s leading whistleblowing charity and has unparalleled expertise on both the legal issues and the practical realities of whistleblowing. Protect supports whistleblowers by providing free and confidential legal advice. We support employers to implement effective whistleblowing arrangements and campaign for legal and policy reform to better protect whistleblowing.
Press office contact: Naomi Jeffreys | 020 8049 3928