MySRA hit by yet more delays

The deadline for solicitors renewing their PCs has slipped further, as the SRA published plans for a phased process, lasting until the end of February.

Solicitors whose first names begin with the letters A, B, C or D, or firms with names beginning with those letters, have until 13 February 2011 to renew. Those with first names beginning with letters from E to Z, or firms with names starting with those letters, must renew by 21 February.

The deadline for activating mySRA accounts is Friday this week. According to the SRA, more than 108,000 solicitors have now activated their accounts.

The regulator has said that PCs will remain valid in the meantime. Solicitors who want to stay on the roll, without a PC, have until 27 May 2012 to pay the fee. The system will not open for them to do this until 2 April 2012.

Antony Townsend, chief executive of the SRA, apologised for 'teething problems' the system was experiencing back in September 2011, which were preventing people from registering themselves on mySRA (see solicitorsjournal.com, 29 September 2011).

The following month, the SRA said solicitors would be able to renew their PCs from 21 November 2011, in advance of an extended deadline of 23 December 2011.

The latest deadline for renewal of PCs, two months after this and four months later than the traditional deadline of 31 October, could lead to concerns that solicitors are practising without proper insurance and the SRA's finances will suffer.

This year's renewal process for firms will include additional questions about in-house complaints handling.