Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) proposals to introduce a scheme of voluntary accreditation for solicitor higher court advocates could lead to ‘incompetent solicitors’ appearing in court, the College of Law’s Legal Services Policy Institute has claimed.

The institute called instead for mandatory assessment and compulsory accreditation in ‘the public interest’ so a practitioner’s relevant knowledge and skills could be certified in advance.

Institute director Professor Stephen Mayson commented that, on this basis, it might be better for the SRA either to adopt the bar’s Code of Conduct or for the SRA and Bar Standards Board to co-operate on devising a new code for higher courts advocacy.

An SRA spokesperson said: ‘We have consulted widely on possible changes to the system of accrediting higher courts advocates and the responses have demonstrated a range of views on how best to assure competence.

‘Any changes will [reflect these views] and support the safe and competent practice of advocacy in the higher courts.’