The Law Society is to make a direct appeal to regulators to change details of the contentious Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).

Several solicitor-advocates have contacted the Society to register their concerns at the proposed assessment scheme.

In particular, practitioners have warned that they will not have completed the required number of cases to be assessed for one of the top two levels.

Advocates looking to gain accreditation will need judicial evaluation as well as written assessment, and will have to obtain three evaluations from completed trials in a 12-month period - and all from a range of judges to whom the advocates must not be connected.

The Law Society has previously called for a delay in the scheme, and said it will now appeal directly to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Legal Services Board for changes, including more time to complete the required assessments.

Law Society director of legal policy Mark Stobbs said: ‘The problem is in the detail. We don’t have an issue with robust quality assurance, but we’ve not always been consulted along the way, and it’s not always been clear.

‘Among advocates, there is substantial concern and a number of things need to change.’

A second QASA consultation will end on 26 September.