The Solicitors Regulation Authority has today announced a consultation on a new scheme for overseas lawyers to qualify as English solicitors. The scheme will also extend to other UK lawyers, including solicitors admitted in other parts of the UK and barristers.

The consultation is to run for 12 weeks. Further details can be found here.

For some time, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been considering changes to the rules governing solicitors’ rights to practise advocacy in the Higher Courts.

The SRA has now made its proposals to the Secretary of State, and they have been published on the Law Society's website. See item 8 on this link.

The new Regulations have been designed to:

●             remove the restrictive practices and onerous assessment regime of the existing Regulations;

●             reduce the number of qualifications available (to simply civil and criminal);

●             introduce a single assessment process for each qualification that will concentrate on appropriate advocacy skills and assume that solicitors will have adequate knowledge of relevant rules of procedure and evidence;

●             enable holders of a higher courts qualification granted under previous regulations to 'passport' onto the new scheme, subject to revalidation requirements;

●             introduce a requirement that holders of a higher rights of audience qualification (whether granted under these or previous regulations) will be required revalidate that qualification every 5 years of earlier for current holders;

●             remove the current requirement for experience evidenced by a portfolio; and

●             remove the current mandatory training requirements.

It will take some time for the new Regulations to be approved and implemented. As a result, the existing Higher Rights scheme has now been extended, possibly until 1 January 2010. This is viewed by the SRA as a 'worst case' timetable, so the new scheme may come in sooner.

We will provide further updates on the site as and when further details regarding the new regime and the timetable for its implementation become clearer.