THE number of solicitors facing disciplinary tribunals has shot up by two thirds over the last five months

THE number of solicitors facing disciplinary tribunals has shot up by two thirds over the last five months.

A significant number of cases arose from "corner-cutting" in the recession. Some 111 cases were pending on 12 September 1994, according to sources at the Solicitors Complaints Bureau.

A source says: "At this rate, we should have received 380-odd applications by April, compared to 228 by last April. While solicitors were not committing major frauds, some of them were definitely cutting corners during the recession."

Earlier this year Law Society adjudication and appeals committee chair Chris Heaps said a 50 per cent increase in the number of solicitors struck off indicated that the profession was "putting its house in order".

But the SCB's Christina Heidensohn, says: "We have a fast-track procedure now which enables us to get people to tribunal quicker. That could explain the increase."