The regulatory objectives which underpin all of IPReg’s activities are:
- protecting and promoting the public interest;
- supporting the constitutional principle of the rule of law;
- improving access to justice;
- protecting and promoting the interests of consumers;
- promoting competition in the provision of legal services;
- encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession;
- increasing public understanding of the citizen’s legal rights and duties;
- promoting and maintaining adherence to the professional principles
- promoting the prevention and detection of economic crime
Download a copy of our 2025/26 Business Plan.
Strategic Objectives
In January 2025, the IPReg Board set new strategic objectives for the next 3-4 years:
1. Strategic objective: Improve our understanding of the risks faced by individual consumers and small businesses who need IP legal services
Enhance our understanding of the needs of individual consumers and small businesses and the risks they may encounter when accessing legal advice. Use this evidence to develop proportionate and targeted regulatory policies and responses so that individual consumers and small businesses are well-informed about the type of service they can expect from a regulated attorney.
Key Actions:
- Establish and promote clear, accessible guidance and resources that inform consumers of their rights and the standards they can expect from IP professionals.
- Maintain a robust disciplinary and enforcement system for investigating complaints which is consistent with best practice.
- Collaborate with consumer advocacy organisations, in particular the Legal Services Consumer Panel, to share insights, co-develop educational/information resources and broaden outreach efforts. This partnership will help to ensure that regulatory consumer protection initiatives are informed by current consumer concerns.
Regulatory objectives supported by this objective: protecting and promoting the public interest; supporting the constitutional principle of the rule of law; improving access to justice; protecting and promoting the interests of consumers; increasing public understanding of the citizen’s legal rights and duties; promoting the prevention and detection of economic crime.
2. Strategic objective: Promote and Maintain High Standards Among Regulated IP Practitioners
Education, qualification and continuing competency requirements ensure that attorneys deliver high-quality, reliable services that enhance service quality and uphold public trust in the regulated IP professions.
Key Actions:
- Collaborate with employers, education providers, professional bodies and other stakeholders to ensure that routes to qualification are fit for purpose, consistent with best practice and align with regulatory requirements and emerging industry needs.
- Maintain a comprehensive competency framework that outlines the necessary skills, knowledge, and ethical standards expected of all regulated trade mark and patent attorneys.
- Maintain an appropriate approach to continuing competence to ensure that patent and trade mark attorneys remain up-to-date with evolving legal, technical, and ethical standards.
Regulatory objectives supported by this objective: protecting and promoting the public interest; improving access to justice; protecting and promoting the interests of consumers; encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession; promoting and maintaining adherence to the professional principles.
3. Strategic objective: Optimise IPReg’s Regulatory Efficiency and Effectiveness
Streamline regulatory operations to reduce administrative burdens, improve service delivery, and enhance regulatory responsiveness to industry changes while maintaining a high standard of oversight.
Key Actions:
- Leverage technology to improve the efficiency of authorisation of individuals and entities, monitoring, and enforcement processes, reducing time and cost for both the regulator and regulated entities.
- Maintain a risk-based regulatory approach, prioritising resources on areas of greatest consumer impact and risk, while easing the compliance burden on low-risk entities.
- Foster transparency and accountability by regularly publishing performance metrics, regulatory outcomes, and strategic updates to build stakeholder confidence in the regulator’s efficiency and effectiveness.
Regulatory objectives supported by this objective: protecting and promoting the public interest; protecting and promoting the interests of consumers; protecting and promoting competition in the provision of legal services.