Liverpool Law Aug 2017

Local News
News from the Sub-Committees
Email: committees@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk for further information
Regulatory Committee Action
SRA Consultation –
‘A new route to qualification:
New regulations’
Following a meeting at the Society in early July, Liverpool Law
Society’s Regulatory Sub-Committee submitted a response to the
SRA’s latest consultation on training which closed on 26 July. The
questions were: ‘Do you agree that these regulations implement the
agreed policy framework for the SQE?’ and the committee also
responded to the query ‘Do you have any comments on the
proposals for recognition of the knowledge and competences of
qualified lawyers?’
The SRA’s next steps are that they plan to submit the new admission
regulations to the Legal Services Board towards the end of this year.
They explain this is so they “can move to implementation, giving
stakeholders certainty about the new qualification system and the
proposed timetable. The target date for full implementation of the
SQE is September 2020. The SQE will be delivered by a single
assessment organisation which we will appoint following a
competitive tender process to select that assessment organisation.”
Solicitor vacancies on LLS Access
to Justice Committee
This committee, chaired by Chris Topping of Broudie Jackson
Canter, was created in January 2012 prior to the implementation
of the LASPO Act. Its main remit is to look at access to legal
advice and assistance particularly to those who are of limited
means.
It has a membership of solicitors in private practice and third sector
agencies including local university law clinics. It meets every couple
of months, over a working lunch at Liverpool Law Society’s offices.
The Committee encourages pro bono initiatives, and organises
conferences and forums involving private sector lawyers, third sector
agencies providing legal advice such as Citizens Advice and law
centres, local universities’ law clinics, local authorities from the
Liverpool City Region, and members of the local judiciary.
The Committee also inputs into the agenda of Liverpool Law
Society’s directors’ twice-yearly meetings with local councillors and
MPs. The Society feels there is still a continuing role for lobbying,
particularly to elected representatives, and the meetings enable the
Directors of the Society to highlight areas of injustice as they arise
with a view to arguing for the re-opening of access to Legal Aid in
the future.
If you are interested in becoming a member of this committee and
are a solicitor, please contact Sarah Poblete at
sarah@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk
6 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk