Law Weblog

Law Society to split into two?

We thought the arrangements for investigating complaints about solicitors was sorted and unlikely to change for a while…wrong, again. It appears that the Law Society has decided this week to divide into two, one part to investigate complaints and be the regulating body, the other bit to be the ‘trade union’ for the solicitors. No detail is known yet, but no actual changes would be possible until 2007/8.

This comes ahead of the “Clementi Review”, is the Law Society expecting some criticism and acting first? In February the Lord Chancellor appointed the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner to oversee complaints handling, and recently gave her powers to fine the society up to £1m if its performance failed to improve.
Statutory Instrument, here.