The duty in context
Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank client
The lawyer must not unfairly refuse or withhold services on objectionable grounds and, where a cab-rank principle applies, must accept proper instructions in their field irrespective of the client, case or funding.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 1.1 partial 352 cases
1.1 You do not unfairly discriminate by allowing your personal views to affect your professional relationships and the way in which you provide your services.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC28; rC29 strong 5 cases
rC28 You must not withhold your services or permit your services to be withheld: .1 on the ground that the nature of the case is objectionable to you or to any section of the public; rC29 ... you must, subject to Rule rC30 below, accept the instructions addressed specifically to you, irrespective of: .a the identity of the client; .b the nature of the case ...; .c whether the client is paying privately or is publicly funded; and .d any belief or opinion which you may have formed ...
BSB Handbook Part 2: Code of Conduct · 5.0 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.4.1(a); R.4.1(b) partial
is free to decide whether to accept instructions from a client other than where an attorney-at-law is appointed to act under legal aid... shall not do anything to compromise or impair a person's freedom of choice in placing instructions for legal services
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 42.1 partial 15 cases
A solicitor must not in the course of, or in connection with, legal practice or their profession, engage in conduct which constitutes: 42.1.1 discrimination, 42.1.2 sexual harassment, or 42.1.3 any other form of harassment, or 42.1.4 workplace bullying.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules rr21,5(f) strong 4 cases
A barrister must accept a brief from a solicitor to appear before a court in a field in which the barrister practises or professes to practise if: (a) the brief is within the barrister's capacity, skill and experience; (b) the barrister would be available ... (c) the fee offered on the brief is acceptable ... and (d) the barrister is not obliged or permitted to refuse the brief under Rules 95, 97, 98 or 99.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch2 — Acceptance of instructions: General; Legally aided clients in criminal matters partial 1 case
In general, a solicitor is not bound to accept instructions from any client... However, a solicitor should not discriminate unfairly between members of the public, nor refuse to act for a person on the grounds of discrimination... Where a solicitor on the legal aid panel is either instructed by the defendant or nominated by the court to act on behalf of the defendant, they are under a duty to comply with those instructions unless they have reasonable grounds for refusing to act.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 3.10; Rule 2.4 strong 1 case
Having regard to the anticipated length and complexity of a case and having regard to their other professional commitments and the provisions of this Code Barristers are bound to accept instructions in any case in the field in which they profess to practise (having regard to their experience and seniority) subject to the Payment of a proper professional fee.
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon III(a); Canon III(c) strong 4 cases
An Attorney is under no obligation to act on behalf of every person who may wish to become his client, but in furtherance of the ethics of the profession to make legal services fully available, he shall not lightly decline a proffered retainer. ... (c) An Attorney shall not be deterred from accepting proffered employment owing to the fear or dislike of incurring disapproval of officials, fellow Attorneys or members of the public.
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.1.1 a)-b); R.1.4 partial
A member: a) is free to decide whether to accept instructions from a client other than where a member is appointed to act under the Legal Aid Scheme; b) must not do anything to compromise or impair a person's freedom of choice in placing instructions for legal services.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 4.1-1 commentary [4] partial
Right to Decline Representation - A lawyer may decline a particular representation (except when assigned as counsel by a tribunal), but that discretion should be exercised prudently ... Generally, a lawyer should not decline representation merely because a person seeking legal services or that person's cause is unpopular or notorious, or because powerful interests or allegations of misconduct or malfeasance are involved, or because of the lawyer's private opinion about the guilt of the accused. [No cab-rank rule; this is a non-discriminatory-decline principle only.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 2.1-1(c) partial 2 cases
A lawyer should accept without hesitation, and if need be without fee or reward, the cause of any person assigned to the lawyer by the court, and exert every effort on behalf of that person.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 4 / r 4.1.1 strong
A lawyer as a professional person must be available to the public and must not, without good cause, refuse to accept instructions from any client or prospective client for services within the reserved areas of work that are within the lawyer's fields of practice. ... The following are not good cause to refuse to accept instructions: (a) any grounds of discrimination prohibited by law ...; (c) the merits of the matter ...
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct B1.15 partial 5 cases
You must not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation in your professional dealings with other lawyers, clients, employees or others
Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 4(e) partial 2 cases
A legal practitioner must facilitate the access of members of the public to justice.
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 5.01 / Commentary 1 & 2 partial
A solicitor is generally free to decide whether to accept instructions from any prospective client. ... A solicitor should not refuse to accept instructions based upon the race, colour, ethnic or national origins, sex or religious or political beliefs ... In deciding whether to represent a prospective client who is accused of a crime, a solicitor should not be influenced by his own opinion of the client's guilt.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 6.1 strong
A practising barrister must accept any brief to appear before a court or instruction to provide any other legal services in a field in which the barrister practises or professes to practise if ... and must do so irrespective of:- (i) the nature of the case; (ii) the party on whose behalf he is instructed; and (iii) any belief or opinion which he may have formed as to the character, reputation, cause, conduct, guilt or innocence of that person.
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
386 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern
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Sohail Bashir
Breaches, SRA Principles 2019
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Timothy Eagle
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Malcolm John Colin Mackillop
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2019
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Andrew Brian Alexander Cooper
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Kirsten Tomlinson
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Joanne Elizabeth Tappin; Ria Lakhani
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Shahid Ali
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Samina Ahmed
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Gavin Clarke
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Paul Simon Green
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2007, Dishonesty, SRA Principles 2011
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Paul Edmund Levy
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2011, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Stuart Nuttall
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Sarah Louise Kearney
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Stefanie Anne O’Bryen
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Money Laundering Regulations, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019
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Maxmillian Alexander Knowles Campbell
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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James Martin Taylor
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Paul Andrew Smith
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
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Alison Haley Griffiths
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Criminal Convictions, Dishonesty, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Christopher James Hawkes
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, SRA Principles 2019
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Mohammed Sarfraz
Breaches, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Natasha Janet Dionne Fairs
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Simon Plant; Ajaz Ali
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2011, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Alison Clare Banerjee
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, SRA Principles 2019
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Harry Francis Cottam
Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, SRA Principles 2011
Duty classification does not yet cover every jurisdiction (Ontario, New Zealand and Singapore decisions are indexed but not yet duty-classified), so counts here understate those corpora.