Law Society Council Votes To Split Regulation And Complaints Handling

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

28 January 2005

It emerged earlier this month that the Law Society Council has voted to establish separate, independently-appointed bodies to deal with regulation and consumer complaints, in line with recommendations made by Sir David Clementi in his review of the UK's legal services sector.

According to the Law Society, the regulatory body will have a small solicitor majority and a substantial proportion of lay members, whilst the consumer complaints body will have a lay majority and a lay chair.

The new bodies are set to be established on a shadow basis in September 2005, and are expected to commence work in January 2006.

The regulatory body will be responsible for dealing with all regulatory policy and will advise the Council on the resources that need to be collected through the practising certificate to ensure that regulation is effective.

Meanwhile, the consumer complaints body will oversee continued improvement of consumer complaints handling by the Society’s Consumer Complaints Service and prepare for its expected transition to be part of the Office for Legal Complaints, the creation of which was also recommended by the Clementi review.

Speaking with regard to the move, Edward Nally, president of the Law Society, observed that:

"This is a dynamic, bold decision that demonstrates conclusively that the Law Society is modernising its governance and regulation of the profession."

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