The scheme, which gives registered holders faster access through security via a QR code on their ID cards, has been used by barristers since it launched in May 2019 in response to concerns about long queues and confiscation of lawyers’ personal items by security guards. From this week, however, it is also available to solicitors and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) staff.
The CPS, London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association (LCCSA) and Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association (CLSA) have joined the Bar Council as members of the scheme. However, any solicitor with a practising certificate can sign up to the scheme via the LCCSA or CLSA website, whether or not they are members.
Mark Troman, president of the LCCSA, said: ‘This will enable faster, less restrictive access to court buildings.’
For those attending court virtually, HM Courts and Tribunals launched guidance this week for lawyers attending video hearings in the Crown or magistrates’ court.
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