SRA keeping of the roll consultation – Law Society response
The proposals
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is consulting on a proposal to change how it manages members on the roll of solicitors.
The proposal is to conduct an annual process, scheduled for after the practising certificate renewal exercise, potentially in April each year.
The administration fee is estimated at £30 to £40 per year, with an additional £39 payment for late requests.
This will impact the approximately 60,000 members of the Law Society who do not hold practising certificates.
Our view
We support the SRA’s intention to improve the management, including data quality, of those on the roll.
The SRA should be able to engage with individuals on the roll and have accurate data for them.
The processes designed must be accessible, proportionate and not create a financial burden for any individuals wanting to apply for or retain on-the-roll status.
This change could impact Law Society members in this group as the criteria for membership requires on-the-roll status, unless you are a registered foreign lawyer.
If a member decides to or is removed from the roll, their Law Society membership will cease. This means an individual will not have access to our membership offering.
If an individual successfully re-applies to be on the roll, membership status will be activated.
Next steps
The consultation closed on 20 May 2022.
We await the review of all consultation responses and outcome from the SRA.