Can I use full-bore lever ball valve to isolate hot water?

I need to replace one of the valves that is used to isolate the hot water to one of my power showers. The old valve is one of those taps that just has a simple flat metal plate with slots in it - painted red. I've always found these a pain to turn and since I only want an on/off action a simple lever valve seems a much better idea. Only question is: is this legal/sensible?