The Law Society has regained control of voluntary accreditation schemes from the Solicitors Regulation Authority after 96% of council members voted for them to be handed back to the Society.

The vote affects schemes to accredit practitioners in a number of areas, including mental health, immigration, clinical negligence and mediation.

On its creation in 2007, the SRA took over mandatory and voluntary programmes from the Law Society Regulation Board. The Society has consistently maintained that voluntary schemes are ‘not inherently regulatory’.

At last week’s meeting of the council, 68 representatives voted in favour of voluntary programmes being transferred back to the Society from the SRA. Three were against the transfer while two abstained.

Mandatory schemes, including higher rights accreditation, will remain with the SRA. Voluntary programmes will return to the Society by the end of June. All staff and resources associated with the schemes will be transferred.

The decision’s timing has attracted comment. In letters to the Society, Legal Services Commission chief executive Carolyn Regan last month expressed ‘concerns’ about the transfer being made before the new Legal Services Board becomes fully operational and the findings of Lord Hunt of Wirral’s regulation review. In a separate letter, the LSB said there could be an issue to consider about ‘how far accreditation schemes help or hinder consumers’.

At the meeting, Society vice-president Bob Heslett (pictured) said: ‘The accreditation schemes that already exist are the intellectual property of the Law Society. This is about forging reputation with solicitors.’

SRA chairman Peter Williamson argued to council that it was in the public interest to keep the voluntary schemes with the regulatory body. The regulator said that it intends to carry out a consultation on the programmes, both mandatory and voluntary, in the spring.