The climb-down – which media reports suggest has also cost the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost fees – is the second high-profile blow for the English regulator this week. Yesterday, The Post reported on the launch of an independent inquiry into allegations that the SRA is rife with ‘institutional racism’ that results in it unfairly targeting ethnic minority law firms for investigations in to alleged rule breaches.
Dogged by problems
The scuppered on-line renewal programme – part of a wider MySRA offering – was aimed at those solicitors without practising certificates who wanted to stay on the official roll. According to a report in the London-based Law Gazette, the ‘system has been dogged by problems’, with SRA officials now saying it will need significant improvements before being rolled out.
The Gazette points out that the last ‘keeping of the roll exercise’ was conducted more than two years ago, suffering continued delays because of hitches with the new technology.
Two-for-one offer
As a result, says the newspaper, non-practising solicitors wishing to keep their names on the roll will effectively get two years for the price of one as the authorities will collect only a single batch of £20 fees.
SRA chief executive Antony Townsend attempted to justify the move in a statement, saying: ‘Carrying out further work to make the system stable for keeping of the roll could detract from the significant progress we are making with our supplier son enhancements for [practising certificate] renewals and we are not prepared to take that risk.’
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