The launch of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) has been delayed and the consultation on its design extended, the Joint Advocacy Group (JAG) announced today.

The JAG, set up with representatives of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and ILEX Professional Services to design the scheme, said QASA is being ‘reconsidered in the light of issues being raises in the consultation period’.

A consultation on the scheme to assess publicly funded criminal defence advocates was due to close today (7 October), but has been extended to 7 November.

The JAG has indicated that there are likely to be adjustments made to ensure no ‘unintended consequences’. This is likely to mean that its implementation, scheduled for December, will be postponed.

A JAG spokesman said: ‘We remain very committed to the introduction of a single set of standards for criminal advocates as soon as possible, but our priority is to develop a scheme which protects the public interest, while being both proportionate and consistent.’

He said: ‘A number of valid issues on how the scheme can operate most effectively have been raised during the consultation period. As responsible, public interest regulators, we must take the time needed to look at these in more detail, to ensure that the scheme meets our public interest objectives.’

Bodies representing solicitors welcomed the decision.

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said: ‘The Law Society has never been against the principle of a proportionate and balanced quality assurance of advocacy scheme. We believe that, properly implemented, it could provide an important opportunity for solicitor advocates to demonstrate their skills and for the public to identify the best advocates.

'However, the proposal from the JAG had significant flaws to the extent that it could cause serious and unnecessary damage to the practices of many competent solicitors and to the administration of justice.’

Jo Cooper, chair of the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates said: ‘This is a common sense move. It gives us some hope for the development of the scheme. A moratorium will give all the stakeholders time to look again at the aims originally set out by the Legal Services Board, and try to generate a new consensus about how those aims can be put into effect rigorously but fairly.’

Cooper said the structures put in place to set up the scheme had created problems. ‘The JAG has become dominated by the bar who have sent their key players into bat, whereas the SRA representation is underweight.’

He said there is also ‘ambiguity’ about the role of the advisory group chaired by Lord Justice Thomas. ‘Neither group has invested in research to identify the real needs of regulation and the scheme that has been allowed to develop has been fuelled by myth and self-interest.’

However he said: ‘There are sensible voices on all sides of the debate and this is an opportunity for a new dialogue - and hopefully a genuine consensus around a more sensible scheme.’

Max Hill QC, chair of the Criminal Bar Asscoaition said: 'The CBA welcomes the joint announcement by the regulators extending the current consultation period to 7 November 2011. Recent events have shown that there remain important issues for discussion within the draft QASA scheme.

'Where professional livelihoods are at stake, these matters cannot be rushed.'