The Law Society has criticised the Solicitors Regulation
Authority's (SRA) decision to scrap the trainee solicitor minimum
wage.
From 2014 firms will no longer be obliged to pay trainees a
minimum salary above the national minimum wage, currently set at
6.08 an hour.
We had urged the SRA not to scrap the minimum wage for trainees
as it plays a crucial role in promoting equality of opportunity and
acts as a safeguard to avoid exploitation.
The threat to diversity in the profession was even highlighted
by the SRA's equalities impact assessment.
Read our full views on the proposals and the impact
assessment
A Law Society spokesperson commented:
'The Law Society was concerned that the result of this decision
will be that trainees who will be offered the reduced minimum
salary, who are likely already to have substantial debts, will find
themselves in significant financial difficulty and forced to take
on other work which will distract them from giving full attention
to the training contract.
'Alternatively, those trainees who have private means will
receive an undue advantage over potentially more meritorious
candidates. Neither result will be good for the diversity of the
profession. These views were supported by the SRA's own Equalities
Impact Assessment and we are surprised and disappointed that the
SRA did not place greater weight on its findings.
'We will be monitoring the effects of the decision closely.'
Read the SRA's announcement