Legal News and Views -  Asia Pacific and Beyond

First they don't want UK firms to practice in India and now it appears Indian Bar Associations are either too lazy or disorganised to respond to enquiries by the UK  Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) with regard to Indian qualified lawyers practicing in the UK

Legally India reports ..

Full story at  http://www.legallyindia.com/201009021260/News/indian-lawyers-cant-apply-to-practice-in-uk-anymore-also-canadians-nyers

The QLTS replaced the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTS) and Qualified Lawyers Transfer Regulations (QLTR) yesterday and is required to allow overseas lawyers to become qualified as solicitors in England and Wales.

An SRA spokesperson told Legally India: “The SRA conducted a survey of international Law Societies and Bars at the end of April and none of those contacted in India have yet responded.”

“Only those jurisdictions whose regulatory bodies have replied and been assessed as meeting the SRA's criteria have been included on the list that appears on the SRA website www.sra.org.uk/qlts.”

He confirmed that Indian qualified lawyers would not be able to apply to be admitted to the UK, unless they had previously made a valid application for admission under the QLTT or QLTR rules before 1 September. However, he added that the SRA was “keen to point out” that it is only because the Indian regulator had not responded to the survey and that there were “other notable omissions” such as Canada and New York.