Solicitors look to Britain as recession takes toll

APPLICATIONS FROM solicitors in Ireland to practise in Britain have increased by almost 1,800 per cent over a 12-month period, according to the Solicitors’ Regulatory Authority in England.

Over the 12 months to March 2010, the authority received 77 applications from solicitors in the Republic and Northern Ireland to join the roll in England and Wales. Over the following 12 months to March 2011, however, it received 1,460 applications, an almost 20-fold increase.

The surge has been attributed to changes in a qualification scheme introduced by the authority as well as unemployment in and practising costs in Ireland.

The authority is an independent agency established to regulate more than 120,000 solicitors in England and Wales.

Up until September 2010, Irish professionals could qualify automatically on application to practise in England and Wales without undergoing any assessment. On September 1st, the authority introduced a new scheme, the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme.

As a consequence, Irish solicitors wishing to join the roll to practise in England and Wales must satisfy specific criteria set by the authority. They no longer enjoy automatic qualification.

The Law Society of Ireland initially challenged the introduction of the scheme, but has since entered negotiations with the authority to develop a training module for Irish solicitors.

The authority said the new scheme aimed to ensure that all applicants for transfer were assessed against the same benchmark as domestic candidates.

It said solicitors in Ireland, as well as internationally-qualified lawyers from around the world, were given notice of the change.

“Many chose to register before the new regulations – resulting in a rise in the numbers of Irish lawyers registering to practise in England and Wales in 2010,” the authority said.

“The SRA and the Law Society of Ireland have been working together to develop a module to be incorporated into the training of Irish solicitors that will address areas of substantial differences in the law and practice of Ireland and England and Wales.”

Solicitor John Cronin, from legal procurement company Brief Counsel, said the surge in applications to practise in Britain was not surprising.

“Individual practising certificates are up to five times cheaper in the UK than in Ireland,” Mr Cronin added.

“Greater transparency is urgently needed in the two Irish legal professions. And Minister for Justice Alan Shatter’s impending reforms in line with the EU-IMF deal, hopefully, will provide it,” he said.