The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has defended itself against accusations of racial discrimination, as it emerges that black and Muslim lawyers are considering launching a breakaway watchdog. The row emerged after the Association of Muslim Lawyers (AML) and the Society of Black Lawyers produced figures claiming that 63% of the SRA’s misconduct investigations last year were against solicitors from ethnic minority backgrounds. SRA chief executive Antony Townsend said: “The real facts are that the practices of two Asian and nine black solicitors were closed down, compared with 22 white/European solicitors and 26 solicitors whose race is not known. In all these cases, there was evidence of serious risk to the public.”
Legalweek.com (16 October)
