Asylum firms doing a great job in difficult circumstances, finds SRA
updated on 12 December 2016
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has pledged to emphasise the good work of law firms which handle asylum cases following a highly positive review of the sector.
Some 52 asylum firms were subjected to a review where files were randomly selected for scrutiny and staff were interviewed – together, the 52 firms handled 14,000 asylum cases last year. The Law Gazette reports that a small number of those firms were found to not be at the required standard and are now subject to further investigation, but the SRA is much keener to praise the good work of the majority of firms, which operate in a complex and high-pressure area.
Paul Philip, the SRA’s chief executive, said: “Given the potential vulnerability of asylum seekers, it is important that we make sure they are receiving a high standard of legal services. We found that generally solicitors are meeting the expected standards. It was also encouraging to see many examples of firms going above and beyond to meet their client’s needs. Yet there are still areas where things could be better. We hope our report and guidance will help firms address those concerns and improve. We will take robust action where necessary and will be monitoring overall progress closely.”
