MOJ gives green light to new regime for solicitor higher rights of audience

The Ministry of Justice has given the go-ahead to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s new regime for solicitors gaining higher rights of audience, which will see separate awards for criminal and civil advocacy.

The MoJ’s approval marks the closure of the current accreditation and exemption routes under the Higher Court Rights Qualification Regulations 2000.

Solicitors who have already gained rights of audience qualifications will be automatically passported onto the new scheme and will retain their existing rights of audience, the SRA said.

Going forwards, there will be only one route to qualification under the Solicitors Higher Rights of Audience Regulations 2010. This will be an advocacy assessment based on the higher rights of audience competence standards.

Some 5,461 solicitors in England and Wales have a higher courts qualification.

Claire Gilligan, the SRA’s head of education and training, said the authority believed the new scheme is a fairer way of assessing competency. The SRA decided, following consultation, to retain a mandatory rather than voluntary approach to qualification.

She added: “The new regulations remove the need for mandatory training or experience in the assessment process which will be run by external organisations who have been authorised by the SRA. We feel confident that the 2010 regulations will provide a robust system for qualification in the higher courts.”

Transitional arrangements have been made to cover people taking assessments under the 2000 regulations.