Law Society news
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Solicitors jailed for fraud
Iain Robertson, Alastair Blackwood and David Lyons were among a group of five men jailed for fraud following a nine-week trial.
Government reforms on legal regulation good news for consumers and the Scottish legal sector
Scottish Government plans to bring forward new legislation to reform and modernise the regulation of legal services are good news for consumers and the Scottish legal sector.
Court of Session confirms position on legal privilege and third party complaints
The Court of Session has confirmed its position on legal privilege in relation to third party complaints and has provided clarity on the limits of client confidentiality following publication of its opinion on 9 December.
WW & J Mcclure Limited / Jones Whyte Limited FAQs
Greenock law firm WW & J Mcclure Limited went into administration and ceased trading in early 2021. We have have collated answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Guidance update on third-party complaints
Read our update on Guidance relating to third-party complaints following the Court’s Opinion in the case of Scottish Legal Complaints Commission v Donald Roderick Murray and Another
Updated AML Supervisory Annual Report
You can read our AML Supervisory Annual Report for 2022.
Law Society set to introduce new AML supervisory attestation process
The AML team is launching a new supervisory attestation process. This will be an ongoing piece of work reaching all practices who may not fall under the scope of our full high-risk AML inspection process.
Campbell Connon FAQs
Campbell Connon has ceased to practice. A Judicial Factor has been appointed to access all of the files, documentation and the client account and we have put together answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Rule changes set to bolster complaints process and modernise Accounts Rules
The Society's Regulatory Committee is set to take forward changes to solicitor practice rules following its SGM on 26 October 2022. The changes will further strengthen the sector’s robust standards by bolstering the legal complaints process and modernising Accounts Rules.
Cashroom Manager Assessment Q&A
Following on from our consultation earlier this year on our proposals to update the Society's Accounts Rules, we have compiled a Q&A in advance of our SGM this month on what the proposed changes, which would see the introduction of a Cashroom Manager Assessment, will mean for cashroom managers at law firms.
AML Round up
The ever increasing importance and visibility of AML and other economic crime issues at international, domestic and sectoral level means that it's vital for solicitors to be aware of the latest developments. Our latest AML round up provides the latest updates and news for the legal sector.
HM Treasury approval for AML guidance for the legal sector
HM Treasury has approved updated anti-money laundering guidance developed by the Legal Sector Affinity Group
New report demonstrates consensus on the need to reform legal services regulation in Scotland
The Scottish Government has published its analysis of responses to its recent consultation on reforming the regulation of legal services. We welcome the high level of agreement from respondents on improving regulatory processes.
New guidance on Law Society Style Success Fee Agreement
The Law Society has published new guidance on its style for success fee agreements. The new guidance comes into effect on 1 May 2022.
Refreshed Sectoral AML Risk Assessment
We have carried out a new, refreshed and far more detailed assessment of AML risks, tailored to the circumstances, demographic and context of the Scottish profession. The Money Laundering Regulations require that our members use this information when carrying out their own money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments.
Legal profession concerned by Scottish Legal Complaints Commission draft budget
We have called on the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to focus more on its core role in handling legal complaints and go further in controlling its costs.
Engaging with the complaints process
Let's talk about complaints. No one likes to be complained about, but we highlight the importance of engaging in the process as part of a solicitor's professional obligations - and seeking support if needbe.
Authorisation marks significant step towards alternative legal businesses in Scotland
The Society has been authorised as a regulator of Licensed Legal Services Providers in Scotland, marking a further step towards solicitors and non-solicitors being able to set up businesses together to provide legal and other business services to consumers in Scotland.
Law Society cautions against change which could risk higher legal bills for consumers
While we want to see major reforms to the way legal services are regulated, we have cautioned against measures which could damage the competitiveness of Scottish law firms and increase the cost of legal advice for consumers.
Read more about our response to the Scottish Government consultation on legal services regulation reform.
AML annual report 2021
We have updated our AML Supervisory Annual Report building on the interim version published in February 2021.
With a foreword from our CEO, Lorna Jack, the report highlights the work we have undertaken between April 2020 and April 2021 in fulfilling our supervisory obligations as per the requirements of the Money Laundering Regulations 2019.
Regulatory reforms must not increase costs for consumers
While reform of legal services regulation is long overdue, we have cautioned against against changes which could increase costs for consumers and damage the competitiveness of Scottish law firms.
Comment on Scottish Government consultation analysis on reforming legal complaints
The Society's President Ken Dalling comments following the publication of the analysis of the Scottish Government consultation on proposals to improve the current complaints system.
Specialist AML guidance for Trust & Company Work and Notaries published
The Legal Sector Affinity Group has published further anti-money laundering guidance for specialist areas of legal practice, following its extensive redraft of the main UK AML guidance in January.
Regulatory Committee update
The Society's Regulatory Committee Convener Craig Cathcart provides an update on the work of the committee in 2020 and 2021.