Obtain the skills and qualification necessary to represent clients in the civil or criminal higher courts in England and Wales by achieving the Higher Rights of Audience accreditation.
To exercise these rights, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) specifies the completion of an advocacy assessment for either the civil or criminal courts. To gain rights in both courts, you will need to undertake an assessment for each pathway. Unless you have comprehensive experience in advocacy, we recommend you undertake at least one of either the written or practical training courses to give yourself the best possible chance of passing the assessment.
Our supplementary, beneficial four-day training course covers the various essential aspects of Crown Court and High Court preparation and advocacy, designed to guide you through the assessment process and to stand you in good stead for life as an advocate in the higher courts.
Key Benefits
- BARBRI Altior is accredited by the SRA to deliver Higher Rights of Audience training under the Higher Rights of Audience Regulations 2021
- Our training is delivered by our team of highly experienced trainers who are all Higher Court Advocates.
- Practical programme to ensure learning is directly applicable in the workplace.
- Successful completion of the course will enable you and your firm to handle all aspects of litigation work on behalf of clients.
- Qualification is designed to equip you for work in the Higher Courts, and the skills and experience obtained will help you to conduct more effective advocacy in all courts.
- Aspects of the programme will also enhance your knowledge of evidence and ethics that will help develop wider litigation expertise.
- Those with sufficient advocacy experience can choose to take the assessment only option.
In addition, the benefits to you of becoming a Higher Court advocate include:
- Offer a complete service to clients
- Greater professional status and reputation
- Higher earning potential
- Enhanced advocacy, communication and case management skills
From 1 October, we will provide course training only for the new HRA assessment. Course dates will be made available soon. The exact format of the new assessment is yet to be confirmed and may differ from existing formats.
For more information, please read here.
The Higher Rights of Audience qualification is available to any solicitor involved in advocacy work. On completion, it will enable you to conduct advocacy in either the civil or criminal Higher Courts. This course is suitable for you if:
- You already have sufficient advocacy experience and would like to be accredited as a solicitor advocate.
- Would like to enhance your capabilities as a dispute resolution practitioner you can undertake the training alone without the need to undertake the assessment.
- Trainee solicitors and others qualifying as solicitors who wish to take Higher Rights of Audience training as their elective option.
The ability to see a client’s litigation through from start to finish without needing to hire a barrister can be more cost-effective for your client – and more profitable for the firm. Specialist knowledge and expertise in advocacy will also provide your firm a competitive edge. The Higher Rights of Audience qualification is designed to equip you for work in the Higher Courts – the skills and experience you will obtain will help you conduct more effective advocacy in all courts. Aspects of the programme will also enhance your knowledge of evidence and ethics which will help you develop wider litigation expertise.
- Designed and delivered by experienced current or recent practitioners.
- Practical programme to ensure learning is directly applicable in the workplace.
- On successful completion, you can sit the external assessment and upon passing, you will enable you and your firm to handle all aspects of litigation work on behalf of clients.
- Those with sufficient advocacy experience can choose to take the assessment only option.
- Our Higher Rights Assessments have been accredited by the SRA under the 2021 Regulations.
Is there a need for training?
Although there is no requirement to undertake training before attempting the assessment, in our experience training greatly helps candidates make the transition from lower to Higher Court advocacy. In addition, the SRA’s standards are now more far-reaching and you could be assessed against any of them. We therefore strongly recommend that you undergo training to give yourself the best possible chance of passing the assessment on the first attempt.
You can choose to undertake the Higher Rights of Audience training in a number of ways, depending on your current level of advocacy experience and whether or not you wish to simply enhance your skills with our training or if you would like to be accredited as a solicitor advocate.
Format:
- Written Training – 2 half-days of training
- Practical Training – 2 half-days and 2 full days of training to practise advocacy skills in a safe environment with expert trainers
- All elements are delivered live online
Optional Extras:
- Written Mock: 1 half-day
- Practical Mock: 1.5 hour mock assessment (we recommend a full day of preparation)
How is the Assessment Structured?
The new assessment under the 2025 regulations may look different to what it was before. We will update you . This is the format of the previous assessment under the 2021 regulations:
Written Element
This part consists of a 2½ hour examination with an additional 30 minutes of reading time. The paper contains a section of short answer questions based on case studies and a section of multiple-choice questions. You can take permitted materials into the examination (please see the Candidate Handbook for further details).
Practical Element
This element is split into two parts and lasts for approximately 1 hour. The first part requires you to submit a Skeleton Argument and conduct a contested interim hearing. The second part revolves around a mini mock trial and requires you to be assessed in two of the following areas:
- Opening Speech
- Cross-Examination
- Closing Speech
You will have access to the case papers for the Practical assessment approximately 5 working days before the assessment date. This allows you the appropriate time to prepare your Skeleton Argument (for the interim hearing) and any case law/statutory authorities you wish to rely on (for the mini mock-trial). These will need to be submitted to us prior to the assessment.
Pass Marks
The written part of the assessment accounts for 40% of the total available marks and the practical part 60%. You must achieve a minimum of 60% across both parts (an aggregate mark) to pass the Advocacy Assessment. You will also be required to satisfy the Equality and Diversity and Ethics Standards throughout the assessments.
The two parts of the assessment comprise one assessment and you will only be notified of your final aggregate pass or fail result.
Learning Outcomes
Following this course, you will be able to do the assessment through the single provider appointed by the SRA, which will allow you to:
- Enhance your professional standing and reputation.
- Handle all aspects of litigation work on behalf of clients.
- Give the firm you work for a competitive edge.
Although the qualification is designed to equip you for work in the Higher Courts, the skills and experience you will obtain will help you conduct more effective advocacy in all courts. Aspects of the programme will also enhance your knowledge of evidence and ethics which will help you develop wider litigation expertise.
Written Training
The written part of the assessment will centre on the knowledge-based or document-based standards. Our written training programme is designed to prepare you to be assessed against all of these standards.
Specifically, it covers:
- Evidence – hearsay, bad character, disclosure, experts etc
- Dealing with vulnerable witnesses.
- Ethics and diversity
- Code of Conduct issues
- Preparation and identification of deficiencies in written documentation such as indictments, particulars of claim etc
- Practice specific elements. For example ADR and Pre-action Protocols for civil and PCMHs and sentencing for criminal
Practical Training
Our practical training is extremely hands-on and allows you the opportunity to practise your advocacy skills in a safe environment and get detailed feedback from the trainer. We keep trainer-to-delegate ratios low to maximise one-to-one contact. Our trainers are also assessors, and so they are ideally placed to coach you on your performance and advise you on any areas for improvement ready for the assessment.
The programme covers:
- Trial analysis and planning, including formulating a Trial Strategy Plan
- Preparing and conducting an interim application
- Preparing and delivering an Opening Speech
- Planning and carrying out an Examination-in-Chief
- Preparing for, and conducting, [remove both commas] an effective Cross-Examination
- Preparing and delivering a Closing Speech
Package fees are the same for both the civil and criminal pathway and include written and practical training. We can also offer the written or practical training as independent modules.
Our packages and prices will be updated soon.
- Written + Practical Training: £1,010 + VAT
- PSC Core Modules & Written and Practical Training £1,785.00 +VAT
Please call us on 029 2045 1000 to enquire.
Go to the Professional Skills Course page for more information.