Solicitors acting for children and clients with mental illnesses are to be subject to the highest level of background checks from this month, it has emerged.

The Law Society will run detailed checks via the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) on all solicitors who are currently members of its children panel and mental health review tribunal panel, or who are applying to join either panel.


The Society has been granted permission to access the highest level of police intelligence held by the CRB. This will include details of any investigation made against a solicitor for any offence - even if no charges were brought - and information about ongoing investigations.


A Law Society spokeswoman said that where the checks brought up information about solicitors, each case would be looked at individually and the Society would give credence to guidance from the police authority involved as to whether the person is suitable for unsupervised access to children. Police already notify the Society where solicitors are convicted of an offence.


Richard Charlton, chairman of the Mental Health Lawyers Association, said: 'We accept that the people we represent are vulnerable, but checks [on convictions] are carried out as part of being a solicitor. Our members have nothing to hide, but we are not sure why we have been singled out... There can be a knee-jerk reaction these days that these things are required.'


Christina Blacklaws, Law Society Council member for child care law, said: 'Any other professional involved with vulnerable children has to have checks through the CRB - it has been an anomaly that this has not applied to solicitors, who will often see children on their own, even in their bedroom. We need to ensure they are properly checked through.'


Solicitor Gareth Crossman, policy director at civil liberties group Liberty, said the Law Society should be careful in its approach to the information.


He said: 'Allegations are frequently made against people that are totally unsubstantiated... We hope the Law Society would apply discretion in making decisions and would not just invalidate members of the panel.'


Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said the checks provided reassurance to the public about solicitors dealing with vulnerable groups.