ACSO responds to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) consultation on its 'Business Plan and Budget 2022-2023'

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has responded to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) consultation on its business plan and budget 2022-2023. 

Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director of ACSO says: "ACSO welcomes the SRA's proposal to monitor the equality considerations within SQE results and to work with disabilities groups to deliver efficient and fair reasonable adjustment processes. ACSO would add that consideration should also be made for vulnerable parties who may not be registered disabled but may instead have mental health issues or other attributes/factors which mean they would also reasonably benefit from adjustments. 

"A major shift to hybrid/remote working in light of the Covid-19 pandemic has left many people struggling to cope. ACSO would like the SRA, as a key regulator, to respond. Poor health and wellbeing can result in low morale, higher sick leave and bad decision-making. Consumers will feel the knock-on effects of poor health and wellbeing in the profession by way of mistakes, errors of judgement and avoidable poor outcomes."

Maxwell Scott continues: "With fraud and cybercrime on the increase, care needs to be taken over the next few years as law firms deal with large amounts of cash and are likely targets of financial crime. Investing in IT and associated innovation will also require investing time and money in understanding the risks posed to solicitors and law firms in doing so."

ACSO members can read our full submission in the members' area of the website.