Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Solicitors Regulation Authority and (b) the Legal Services Board on support available for prospective solicitors impacted by the transition to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for setting the regulatory requirements for qualification as a solicitor, with oversight from the Legal Services Board (LSB).

The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA and the LSB on a variety of issues relating to the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. There is ongoing engagement with the SRA in relation to solicitor training and qualification. In future, we can raise the specific issue of solicitors impacted by the transition to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

The SRA publishes guidance for prospective solicitors affected by the transition to the SQE: SRA | Becoming a solicitor with the Legal Practice Course (transitional requirements) | Solicitors Regulation Authority.