10,000 solicitors apply for QASA

Over 10,000 solicitors have notified the SRA that they will seek registration as criminal advocates under the QASA scheme.

The scheme, developed jointly by the SRA, BSB and IPS (Ilex Professional Standards), has been plagued by delays and disagreements. David Edmonds, chairman of the LSB, said in a letter to the MoJ this month that the board’s “forceful facilitation” was crucial in making QASA happen.

The scheme has proved extremely popular from the start. More than 2,500 solicitors notified the SRA in the first two weeks after the notification process went live on 2 July.

A spokesman for the SRA said QASA would be introduced in stages from January 14 2013.

The first phase would cover the Midland and Western circuits, followed by the South Eastern circuit in June 2013. The North, North East and Wales/Chester circuits would join the scheme in September 2013.

The fourth consultation on the scheme was launched this summer, following agreement by the regulators in March. A spokesman for the SRA said 40 responses had been received to this final consultation on QASA, which ends on October 9.

The SRA Board is expected to approve the final scheme at its meeting the end of November before it is submitted to the LSB for final approval in December. Richard Collins, executive director of the SRA, said: “We are encouraged by the positive response we’ve had to the notification exercise. It will provide some interesting new data on access to legal services as well as giving an indication of the number of solicitor advocates intending to register.

“We will also soon be considering the responses to the consultation and would urge any individuals or organisations who wish to contribute their views to do so before the deadline of 9 October.

“In addition, meetings have been held with a range of stakeholders to ensure we have taken on board as wide a range of views and comments about the proposals as possible. These will be included in our report to the board.

“We are now just a few months away from launching a scheme which will ensure a common standard of competence for advocates which we feel must be in the best interests of consumers, as well as the profession as a whole.”