LAW SOCIETY TO CONSULT ON THE FUTURE OF LEGAL SERVICES IN SCOTLAND
The Law Society of Scotland has today, Thursday, November 1, issued a consultation paper which could result in fundamental changes to how legal services are delivered in Scotland in the future.
The Society is looking for views from across the legal profession, politicians, consumer groups and others who have been involved in the debate on whether the rules governing law firms should be relaxed to allow the legal services market to be opened up to other providers, such as banks or supermarkets who are already gearing up to offer legal services to consumers in England and Wales.
Richard Henderson, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “This is one of the most important issues to arise in the history of the Scottish legal profession and could result in far reaching changes for the profession, the Society and the public.
“There is a growing demand for change both from within the profession and other interested parties, including consumers, and while we have embraced the need for change and have been active in driving this debate forwards, we cannot underestimate some of the challenges that must be addressed to do this.
“With any opening up of the legal services market, we need to ensure that members of the public can continue to access legal advice locally and that protections for the public, currently provided by a strongly regulated legal profession, remain in place. We also want to create an environment that will allow firms to compete in fast-growing Scottish, UK and international markets for legal services.
“There is a careful balancing act to be done and it’s important that the Society seeks the views of all those with an interest in order to develop its policy, which will be published next spring.”
Henderson stated that it was crucial for Scotland to develop its own solutions in response to the calls for change in the legal sector, while taking into account developments in England and Wales, as set out in the Legal Services Act.
He said: “Scotland is entirely different as a legal jurisdiction with a much smaller and more scattered population and this, among many other considerations, must also be taken into account.
“The results of this consultation will certainly bring about change and it is absolutely vital that we make the right decisions for the future. I would urge everyone with an interest to respond by 31 January next year.
“It’s clear that the legal profession is evolving faster than ever and the debate on alternative business structures is just part of a bigger picture. The Society is currently developing clear and enforceable standards of excellence across the profession for the benefit of both solicitors and their clients and is working on a new policy for the education and training of solicitors to ensure that the profession continues to modernise and further improve legal services in Scotland.”
A consultation on alternative business structures ‘The Public Interest: Delivering Scottish Legal Services’ can be viewed online at the Society’s website on http://www.lawscot.org.uk/Members_Information/members_information/
ENDS
Notes to editors
The consultation The Public Interest: Delivering Scottish Legal Services closes on 31 January 2008. The Society will publish the results and proposals for change in spring 2008.
Private practice law firms in Scotland currently contribute around £1.2 billion to the national economy each year. There are approximately 10,500 Scottish solicitors, a quarter of whom work in-house, and 1,247 legal firms in Scotland, 46 percent of which are sole practitioner firms.
The Legal Services Act 2007 for England and Wales will allow lawyers and non-lawyers to set up in business together for the first time. It will also see a new Independent Office for Legal Complaints established alongside a new Legal Services Board which will act as a single independent regulator.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact Val McEwan or Suzy Powell at the Law Society of Scotland corporate communications office on 0131 226 8884 / 0131 476 8115.
