On 12 April 2017, the SRA Board took the decision to introduce a common assessment, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The SQE is designed to test whether individuals who wish to be admitted as solicitors have the skills and knowledge set out in the Statement of Solicitor Competence. The SQE will not be fully implemented any earlier than 2020. This consultation seeks stakeholder views on the regulations needed to bring the SQE framework into force, and in particular, the SRA is seeking comments from other legal regulators on their proposals for the recognition of the knowledge and competences of qualified lawyers.
The consultation is open from 31 May 2017 until 26 July 2017. Full details and a link to the online questionnaire can be found on the SRA’s website.