SRA: the system has been working as we’d like it to
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has insisted that its online practising certificate (PC) renewal system is working normally, despite a technical hitch occurring one day after the applications process opened last week.
The authority admitted there had been “technical difficulties” with handling the volume of applications on its MySRA renewals system on Friday, the second day of operation, when it was reported that some solicitors were unable to complete their applications. But it said there had been no problems since.
After all the problems of last year’s renewal and the reputational damage it caused, a lot is riding on the SRA getting this year’s right, with the Law Society watching closely.
An SRA spokesman said: “Apart from a short period on Friday morning when there was a limit on the number of users who could log on because of technical difficulties, the system has been working as we’d like it to.” He pointed out that solicitors have until 14 December to renew their PC.
More than 600 applications had been approved within two working days of the applications process opening, with a further 2,700 applications logged. It is understood that on Friday the SRA added extra server capacity to prevent a repeat of the overloading.
A spokesman for the Law Society said yesterday: “Online PC renewals is a massive exercise involving many millions of pieces of data. While the system experienced some problems relating to volume at the end of last week, our understanding is that those are being addressed and that the system is working better this morning.”
Sole Practitioners Group chairman Lubna Shuja said she was not aware of her members having experienced problems with their PC applications. She would have been informed if a significant number of complaints had been raised with members of the group’s executive committee, she added.
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