ROA - effect on recruitment and registration

The request was partially successful.

Dear Solicitors Regulation Authority,

Could you please indicate your policy on employing/registering legal professionals, particularly where the ROA exemption applies; I refer specifically to individuals who carry Police cautions and how this might effect the recruiting process and the individual's subsequent candidacy?

Please indicate whether you have considered or taken on persons with cautions in the past; possibly offering up relevant statistics if you have them. Please give examples of what types of cautions would debar someone from a position/practise.

Many thanks for your assistance.

Yours faithfully,

David

Contactcentre, Solicitors Regulation Authority

Dear David

Thank you for your email of 12 February 2010.

I can confirm that when an individual applies for student enrolment and
admission as a solicitor of England and Wales, they are required to
disclose any issues which may call into question their character and
suitability.

There is no automatic bar for qualifying as a solicitor and each case is
considered on an individual basis. However there are procedures that will
need to be followed. Where a student has disclosed *bankruptcy/a
conviction* the matter is viewed very seriously. The offences which cause
the greatest concern are those which involve an element of dishonesty or
indicate a dependence on drugs or alcohol.

Students are required to provide a full written statement of the events
leading up to the offence a *Police National Computer Check* and at least
3 good written references from professional people who are aware of the
offence.

The case will then be presented to an Adjudicator elected by the
Solicitors Regulation Authority, who may require that the
individual attend an interview. The Adjudicator will determine
whether they can be admitted as a student of the Authority and should
he/she decide in their favour the *bankruptcy/conviction* will not then
prevent them from ultimately becoming a solicitor of England and Wales.

I hope that this information is helpful. If you have any further queries
that you would like to discuss, please contact us by telephone on 0870 606
2555. Our lines are open 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday. If you are
calling from overseas please use +44 (0) 1527 504450. Please note calls
may be monitored/recorded for training purposes. Alternatively you can
e-mail us on [1][email address].

Thank you for contacting the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Yours sincerely

Claire Clarke
Contact Centre Officer
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
_______________________________

Phone: 0870 606 2555
Fax: 0207 320 5964
E-mail: [2][email address]
Website: [3]www.sra.org.uk
P Go Green; keep it on screen.

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Dear Contactcentre,

That is helpful. Do you have statistics for students enrolled who have declared offences. When you say convictions above do you include cautions?

Yours sincerely,

David

Contactcentre, Solicitors Regulation Authority

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[1]Picture (Metafile)

Thank you for your email. It has been received by the Contact Centre and
is receiving attention.

Please note our service levels for responding are as follows:

. Emails, letters and faxes - up to 5 working days
. Requests involving research to trace solicitors, firms or files -
up to 20 working days
. Record changes - up to 30 days.

We will endeavour to work ahead of quoted service levels where
operationally possible.

Alternatively, you can contact us by telephone on 0870 606 2555 (national
rate number). Until the 5 March we are piloting longer opening hours,
during this time the lines will be open 08.30 to 18.00 Monday to Friday.
If you are calling from overseas please use +44 (0) 1527 504450. Please
note calls may be monitored/recorded for training purposes.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is committed to the promotion of
equality and diversity. As such it will ensure that people can access its
services and information. It will make reasonable adjustments where
required and appropriate. If you wish to make a request then please let us
know.

As the independent regulatory body for solicitors admitted in England &
Wales we are unable to assist with enquires requesting legal advice.

Thank you for contacting the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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Contactcentre, Solicitors Regulation Authority

Dear David

Thank you for your email of 20 February 2010.

I am looking into this, to see if we can provide any statistics on
students that have declared offences. I am not sure that we record any
definitive details on our system prior to a student being granted
enrolment status, so I have sent a request to our Management Information
Team for them to investigate. Please note that their standard service
level for data requests is 30 days.

As soon as I hear anything from them, I will contact you again.

I hope that this information is helpful. If you have any further queries
that you would like to discuss, please contact us by telephone on 0870 606
2555. Our lines are open 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday. If you are
calling from overseas please use +44 (0) 1527 504450. Please note calls
may be monitored/recorded for training purposes. Alternatively you can
e-mail us on [1][email address].

Thank you for contacting the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Yours sincerely

Simon Greig
Contact Centre Officer
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
_______________________________

Phone: 0870 606 2555 (ext. 3621)
Fax: 020 7320 5964
E-mail: [2][email address]
Website: [3]www.sra.org.uk
P Go Green; keep it on screen.

From: David [[FOI #28839 email]]
Sent: 20 February 2010 10:17
To: Contactcentre
Subject: Re: Registration information

Dear Contactcentre,

That is helpful. Do you have statistics for students enrolled who
have declared offences. When you say convictions above do you
include cautions?

Yours sincerely,

David

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Contactcentre, Solicitors Regulation Authority

Dear David,

Further to your email of 20 February 2010, I have now received
confirmation that we are unable to provide any statistics relating to
offences disclosed by student enrolment applicants. We do not record data
in such a way that would allow us to accurately identify all students that
have had disclosed details of previous offences, to include convictions
and police cautions.

I am sorry that we cannot assist you further with your research.

Yours sincerely

Simon Greig
Contact Centre Officer
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

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