The Solicitors Regulation Authority this week decided to remove restrictions on solicitors wanting to appear in the higher courts, replacing compulsory accreditation with voluntary assessment schemes covering criminal, civil and family advocacy.


It follows a consultation in which respondents favoured some other form of quality assurance in place of the current arrangement.



Despite calls from some members for complete deregulation and to leave it to solicitors to decide whether they were competent to exercise higher rights, the board favoured the voluntary scheme.



The board's education and training committee had supported a compulsory scheme, but its chairman, Jonathan Spencer, indicated that he was relaxed about it being voluntary. He said market pressure and other factors - such as Legal Services Commission demands - would mean in practice that most solicitors would choose to undergo the assessment.