Solicitors Regulation Authority promises to reform after report backlash
In the wake of a storm of critical comments after the publication of Lord Ouseley’s recent report into how black and minority ethnic (BME) solicitors are treated by the profession’s regulatory arm, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) board is meeting this week to agree a new equality and diversity strategy.
The independent report, commissioned by the SRA to establish why BME solicitors are over represented in all aspects of regulation, found that the SRA’s commitment to equality and diversity was “superficial, tokenistic and unimportant”.
Lord Ouseley also said he had come across evidence of stereotyping within the SRA and warned against under estimating “the level of prejudice and bias” within the organisation.
When the report was published last month, Peter Herbert, chairman of the Society of Black Lawyers, said he no longer had trust or confidence in the SRA board and called for the chief executive, Antony Townsend, to resign. However, a spokesman for the SRA said there was no question of Townsend resigning. “The chief executive and chairman, Peter Williamson, will oversee implementation of the new strategy,” he said. “Among other things, this will involve improving recruitment procedures to increase the diversity of our workforce and board, introducing enhanced training for all staff and setting up new systems to enable problems to be identified and resolved more speedily.”
Lord Ouseley has agreed to advise the SRA as it takes the work forward.
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