The London-based Law Gazette reported on a letter to master of the rolls Lord Neuberger form Peter Herbert, chairman of the Society of Black Lawyers that expressed the need for ‘wholesale reform’ to the tribunal, because of its alleged prejudice against ethnic minority lawyers.

Lack of indpendence

In the correspondence, Mr Herbert wrote that ‘that several cases exist which demonstrate a clear lack of independence, impartiality and transparency at the SDT.’ He appealed to the master of the rolls -- who, under the Solicitors Act 1974 is responsible for appointments to the tribunal -- to ensure that the diversity of tribunal members reflects the diversity of those who appear before it.
Mr Herbert also referred to a need for cultural reform to the SDT, reviewing not only its decisions but adopting procedures to provide all appointees with thorough diversity training and monitoring, and to put appropriate sanctions into place for when the system falls short.

Institutionally racist

The Gazette also reports that the group’s allegations follow its recent condemnation of the Solicitors Regulation Authority as being ‘institutionally racist’.
A spokesperson for the SDT defended the tribunal’s operation as ‘an independent, impartial decision-making body’, pointing to the possibility of appeal to the High Court if a verdict is thought to be incorrect or unfair.