Irish solicitors will be able to work in England, Wales

Irish solicitors, along with solicitors in Wales and England, will be able to practice in each other's jurisdiction under an agreement reached by the Law Society of Ireland and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Since 2016, more than 4,500 qualified solicitors from England and Wales have added their names to the Irish Roll of Solicitors. However, with the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31st, 2020, "this transferring process became more difficult", law society president James Cahill said.

The society and the authority have now reached a “reciprocal qualifying agreement” which means the solicitors will not have to sit additional exams to work in any of the three areas.

“The newly reinstated arrangement allows an Irish qualified solicitor to add their name to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales without having to sit the qualified lawyers transfer scheme. Notably, Irish solicitors will also be exempt from the solicitors qualifying examination when it is introduced in September 2021,” Mr Cahill said.

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“Similarly, solicitors qualified in England and Wales can apply for a certificate of admission to the Irish Roll of Solicitors without having to sit additional examinations.”

Irish and Scottish solicitors will still have to pass an exam to practice in each other’s jurisdiction.