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1. The solicitors' profession is, or should be, elitist, equal to the Bar, and at the top level internationally.
2. It should be entirely a matter for the profession what its entry requirements are.
3. The SRA's policy objectives of increasing competition and reducing prices for consumers have resulted in a proposal that is highly damaging to the profession. If more competition is needed, then make it easy for non-solicitors come into the market. But don't mess around with the solicitors' brand, which these proposals will do.
4. We should recognise that the SRA is now actively hostile to the profession and decline to delegate to it any longer the right to regulate the solicitors' profession. We need a fully independent and neutral regulator whose remit is limited to the essential regulatory requirements to protect clients. These don't include training or some of the current regulatory regime, which is concerned with ensuring the reputation of the solicitors' brand and therefore should be under the control of the profession.

It is ironic that other professions and semi-professions (eg nursing) are moving to an all-graduate entry at the same time as the SRA is proposing that we move in the opposite direction.

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