In brief
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) wants practitioners’ views on who should be allowed to enter the profession. While the Solicitors Act 1974 and various regulations oblige the SRA to ensure that, before admission, people are of the character and suitability to be a solicitor, there is no definition of character and suitability. Draft guidelines were issued in June 2006 and piloted among the profession. The SRA now wants solicitors’ views on how the guidelines can be improved. They guidelines are available at www.sra.org.uk and the consultation closes on 27 April 2007.