The Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA) has given its support to the Legal Services Commission’s proposals for a quality assurance scheme for advocates (QAA), but warned it must be ‘demonstrably even-handed, objective and proportionate’.

Following consultation with its 1,300 members, SAHCA responded to the LSC’s discussion paper saying it agreed with the proposal to grade all criminal advocates at levels ranging from Magistrates Court advocacy to the most complex Crown court cases.

But the group said it opposed the mandatory periodic reaccreditation, and had concerns about the time, cost and bureaucracy of the proposed scheme.

SAHCA said it was also sceptical about judicial evaluation as one of the assessment tools to determine competence.

Association chairman Jo Cooper said: ‘We recognise the need to improve and maintain high standards of advocacy, and we at SAHCA are striving to do this with all the specialist training we put on for the benefit of our members.’

‘We are positive about an evidence-based QAA scheme so long as it is targeted just to necessary interventions and is demonstrably even-handed, objective and proportionate.’

Cooper said it was ‘obviously important’ that those entrusted with the procurement of publicly funded services should be able to insist on quality standards from suppliers, but noted that the qualification process already in existence before solicitors and barristers can practice is ‘rigorous’.

The LSC will publish its response to the discussion paper in July, and the three approved regulators of the professions – the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Bar Council and Institute of Legal Executives – have been charged by the Legal Services Board to develop a scheme to be introduced by 2011.