The SRA has indicated that it will delay its decision on how and when the controversial ‘super-exam’ should be implemented until spring 2017 after conceding that enthusiasm for the proposal has been in short supply among legal professionals. The ‘super-exam’, first proposed by the SRA in December, would require all new solicitors to sit and pass a standardised exam in order to secure their qualification. The backlash to the proposal has been strong, with lawyers, regulators and legal academics flagging concerns ranging from the rise of expensive preparatory courses to an alarming 'dumbing-down' of the legal profession.
Consultation response
Announcing its decision to delay a decision on the proposal until next year, the SRA conceded that ‘wholly negative’ responses to the plan had been abundant in its industry consultation on the issue, which closed in March. Of the 250 responses received, only 40 to 50 could be categorised as ‘wholly positive’, while at least 100 were ‘wholly negative’. The details of the consultation will be published in the autumn and will be used to help develop a draft assessment framework for the exam, including format, difficulty and the breadth and depth of the curriculum covered.
Case ‘still strong’
Despite the pushback, the SRA is sticking to its guns and insisting that there remains a strong case for implementing the SQE: ‘It addresses the problem that, currently, qualifications are not comparable – multiple courses and exams mean that standards can vary significantly and there is a lack of transparency,’ argued SRA chief executive Paul Phillip in the Law Society Gazette.
Additional Sources: The Lawyer
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