Tuesday 01 May 2012 by John Hyde

Solicitors have pinpointed five key failings of the online practising certificate renewal system.

MySRA was used for all PC renewals for the first time this year but suffered a host of technical problems. In a survey of law firms carried out following the renewal deadline, solicitors reported the system was too complicated and gave them no control over the process.

The website itself needed improvement; defects were also reported in the payment system. For those who tried to complain, survey respondents said waiting times for the contact centre were too long and advice not always consistent.

The SRA has launched a follow-up survey on its website to pin down specific problems, with a view to improving the system in time for the next round of online renewals in the autumn.

Antony Townsend, SRA chief executive, said: 'We know there were difficulties with this year's exercise, for which we apologise sincerely. No one wants a repeat of this in the next renewals cycle, so we've gathered feedback to make sure that doesn't happen.

'We're now asking for some further feedback to ensure that we've prioritised the main issues properly: we want to concentrate on the things which matter most to those we regulate.'

The form is at the SRA site. It lists areas of concern raised during the first round of the review and invites participants to rate them. There is also a section for any brief further comments. The deadline for completing the forms is 4pm on 15 May.