What does ‘character and suitability’ mean?

Character and suitability is one of the guiding principles set out by the SRA, when considering who should be admitted as a solicitor. Having good character and suitability means that you will fulfil the SRA’s desire to ‘maintain public trust and confidence in the solicitors’ profession’ and ‘protect the public and the public interest.’

For example, a solicitor who has a long history of making discriminatory comments will probably not be trusted to support a case without bias.

How does the SRA assess my character and suitability?

The SRA requires all prospective solicitors to undergo screening. You’ll be asked to complete a form, which asks you about your personal details and whether you have a criminal record. Then, you’ll be screened by an external company, Atlantic Data.

The screening includes the following checks: identity; financial, covering bankruptcy, insolvency and county court judgements; and standard criminal records check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS.) If you’ve lived outside the UK for more than a year within the last five years, you’ll also need to provide an official criminal record check from the country you lived in.

If the screening brings up no issues, your application will be automatically approved. However, If the screening process picks up any issues but your application is still approved, you’ll need to upload a certificate from Atlantic Data confirming this.

How long does the screening process take?

If you don’t have anything to disclose, it will typically take around six weeks for your application to be processed. However, if you do advise the SRA that you have character and suitability issues, your application may take up to six months to process. The SRA may also contact you if they need more information.

Will I be automatically banned from being a lawyer if I have a criminal record?

There is no blanket ban, but the most serious crimes are more likely to result in a refusal. These include: crimes associated with terrorism, crimes of a violent or sexual nature or crimes involving signs of discrimination towards others.

However, you are more likely to have your application approved if: you provide evidence of successful rehabilitation or remorse, the event happened a long time ago or you have credible supporting references.