Higher rights of audience for solicitors could be scrapped under new proposals that could open up higher courts to all solicitors.

A consultation paper was issued on Friday (12 January) by the Solicitors Regulation Authority seeking opinion on whether to scrap higher rights, which are required for solicitors to appear before crown courts and higher.

The deadline for responses to the consultation – which will consider whether to replace the existing system with a periodic, non-mandatory accreditation scheme or no system of accreditation at all – is 12 April.

Clyde & Co competition partner Philippe Ruttley welcomed the move, saying: "I do not believe in the case for a separate Bar [and] no other major country in the world has one. A real lawyer should do their own litigation as well as advise clients. The ideal thing would be to unify training and then those who wish to can focus more on advocacy if they like."

However, others have raised concerns over how the quality of advocacy would be maintained under a voluntary system.

Hammonds Birmingham dispute resolution head Ann Benzimra said: "This is quite dangerous [and] waters down what people have worked very hard for. The existing system could be improved and substantially modified but it allows a basic skill-set to be adopted. We could run into danger of people who are more confident than their capabilities allow."

Allen & Overy trust asset-tracing and fraud head Robert Hunter said: "At the moment nothing that is proposed seems likely to cause difficulties for anyone committed to advocacy as a regular part of their practice. However, people who wish to do advocacy on a very infrequent basis might be affected."

There are currently around 3,600 solicitors in England and Wales with higher rights.