The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the Solicitors Regulation Authority will miss its 6 October deadline for an ABS licence.

The Gazette revealed last week that the authority was mindful of missing the deadline, having had no details of the timetable from the MoJ.

Government sources told the Gazette that the licence is not likely to be granted until much later this year, with the issue not due to be debated until the end of October at the earliest.

An MoJ spokesman said: ‘Before the Solicitors Regulation Authority can be designated as a licensing authority, it is necessary to have appeal arrangements for Alternative Business Structures in place.

‘Work on the appeal arrangements is ongoing and will be debated after the summer recess.’

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is likely to be granted a licence by 6 October, as it has not applied for the same arrangements as the SRA. This means that it will still be possible for ABSs to come into being on 6 October if they are regulated by the CLC.

SRA chair Charles Plant told board members last month that the regulator had completed its preparations for the change.

He called for early confirmation of the timetable from the MoJ, so that those planning to become ABSs can have ‘clarity’ about the starting date for the new regime.