In a letter to the Legal Services Board last week, outgoing
JLD chair Amy Clowrey expressed ‘support, in principle’ of the Solicitors
Regulation Authority’s decision to overhaul the current system and ‘develop a
consistent centralised standard’. However, the JLD, which has about 70,000
members, has concerns about the structure of the SQE, and wants to see more
consultation take place.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has said it will apply in
summer 2020 to the Legal Services Board for final approval of the SQE, which
would eventually replace the Legal Practice Course.
In a separate letter to the Welsh Language Commissioner,
Clowrey offered to work with her to ensure the SQE is offered in Welsh. The
Solicitors Regulation Authority had initially said it would offer a Welsh
language version provided parity of standard between the two versions could be
achieved and the cost was not exorbitant. The regulator said last month that it
would be too expensive and disproportionate to offer a Welsh SQE.
Clowrey also wrote to the Justice Select Committee urging
further scrutiny of the SQE, which is ‘by no means a foregone conclusion’. She
cited concerns that the exam would ‘dilute the standard of the solicitor
qualification in England and Wales (thus making it less appealing as the
jurisdiction of choice post-Brexit)’, including excepts from the 2016
consultation responses of Clyde & Co, Linklaters and The Association of Law
Teachers. She highlighted, in particular, fears that the multiple choice
questions element of the SQE was too easy.
Switalskis associate Clowrey, whose practice specialises in
abuse claims, stepped down as chair last week. The new chair is Charlotte Parkinson, litigation associate at Addleshaw Goddard.
