SRA Handbook

SRA Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (Crime) Notification Regulations

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SRA Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (Crime) Notification Regulations 2012

Preamble

Authority: Made on 25 May 2012 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Board under sections 2, 31,79 and 80 of the Solicitors Act 1974 with the approval of the Legal Services Board under paragraph 19 of Schedule 4 to the Legal Services Act 2007

Date: These regulations came into force on 2 July 2012.

Regulating: The practice of criminal advocacy in England and Wales.

Overview

Outcomes-focused regulation concentrates on providing positive outcomes which when achieved will benefit and protect clients and the public.

The Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (Crime), developed by the Joint Advocacy Group comprising the Bar Standards Board, ILEX Professional Standards and the SRA, is designed so that all advocates in the criminal courts will have undergone a process of accreditation to ensure they are only dealing with cases within their competence and that they are subject to assessment of and monitoring of their performance against agreed criteria. The SRA will introduce regulations to implement the Scheme in full. However, as an interim measure whilst further consultation is undertaken, these regulations ensure that all those wishing to conduct criminal advocacy will have notified the SRA.

The Principles

These regulations form part of the Handbook, in which the 10 mandatory Principles are all-pervasive. They apply to all those we regulate and to all aspects of practice.

Part 1: Interpretation

Regulation 1: Interpretation and definitions

1.1

The SRA Handbook Glossary 2012 shall apply and, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)

all italicised terms shall be defined; and

(b)

all terms shall be interpreted;

in accordance with the Glossary.

Part 2: Notification provisions

Regulation 2: Notification requirements

2.1

If you undertake criminal advocacy after the coming into force of these regulations, you must notify the SRA in the manner prescribed by the SRA by 21 September 2012 or before you undertake any criminal advocacy, whichever is the later.

Regulation 3: Commencement

3.1

These regulations shall come into force on 2 July 2012.