Six thousand solicitors and firms fail to submit PC applications

There are still 6,000 outstanding PC renewal applications after the deadline expired on Friday last week, the SRA has announced.

More than 26,700 bulk and single applications were submitted on time, out of an estimated 32,600. Of those applications not submitted, around 1,500 were created in the MySRA system.

It is understood that the number of outstanding PC renewals is in line with the situation before last year’s debacle.

Alan Vallance, director of organisation services, said the SRA was “extremely pleased” with the way the online renewals process had gone this year.

“While there have been some minor issues with the process, these have been identified and resolved quickly. The relatively trouble-free process this time around demonstrates that the extensive engagement work that we did with the profession earlier in the year paid dividends.

“However, while we’re happy with the vast majority who completed the process in good time, we are concerned those people who are not yet even in the system.”

Vallance said solicitors bombarded the SRA’s contact centre with more than 1,000 calls yesterday “with a number of those having forgotten their password from last year”.

He added: “This implies that those individuals and firms have failed to even start renewing before the deadline”.

The SRA said it would start the revocation process for firms and individuals who failed to renew their PCs early in the new year.

In a separate development, the regulator said it had drawn up a ‘factsheet’ on qualifying indemnity insurers based outside the UK.

Agnieszka Scott, SRA director of policy, said: “We have published this information in light of some concerns in the profession about the protections offered to firms, and therefore also to the public, when insurance is taken out with qualifying insurers based within the EEA.”