News - News - SRA open to charge of institutional racism
| 18 Aug, 2008 |
| The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in it's handling of investigations of ethnic minority lawyers, has laid itself open to a charge of being institutionally racist, an independent report has concluded. The report, by former head of the Commission for Racial Equality Lord Ouseley, found that the SRA had been subjecting black and minority ethnic (BME) lawyers to potentially ruinous investigations. Lord Ouseley also said the SRA paid “lip service” to equality and is plagued by a leadership that lacks “competence” on diversity issues. According to the report, firms whose lawyers are predominantly African and Caribbean are six times more likely to be closed down than those whose lawyers are mainly white. Firms of predominantly Asian lawyers are three times more likely to be closed down. Lord Ouseley claims that SRA staff stereotype BME lawyers and assume them guilty of misconduct before beginning to investigate complaints against them. He said: "Potentially this still leaves the SRA open to the charge of institutional racism, as its policies, procedures, practices and actions, however unintended, can be seen to have disproportionate detrimental and discriminatory outcomes for BME solicitors." Anesta Weekes QC, who chairs an SRA's working party that looks into the impact of the regulatory body's decisions on BME solicitors, said Lord Ouseley's report marked the important first stage in the process of dealing with disproportionate regulation of minority ethnics. The report was commissioned by the SRA following pressure from Justice Minister Bridgette Prentice and the Home Affairs Select Committee Chair Keith Vaz. |
