UK Government Urges India To Liberalise Legal Market

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

30 April 2007

As part of the UK government's drive to open up global legal services markets, Constitutional Affairs Minister Baroness Catherine Ashton on Thursday began a visit to India.

Speaking with regard to the visit, Baroness Ashton explained:

"The Government is committed to the promotion of the internationalisation of legal services. These are vital to help stimulate and facilitate international trade. The ready availability of these services brings benefits to developed and developing economies alike, as commercial opportunities are more effectively exploited."

She continued:

"The dramatic growth of India's economy has led to a significant demand from international businesses and, therefore, from UK lawyers for greater access to that market to serve the needs of inward investors and Indian exporters."

"If international trade and business is to expand, to everyone's benefit, including India's, businesses must be confident of their ability to source high quality professional services wherever in the world they seek to operate."

Working with professional bodies, the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has stated that it is leading the drive to secure the best possible outcome in liberalising legal markets throughout the world, in the interests of both clients and providers, in order to boost international trade and investment.

While the DCA is committed to promoting the benefits of liberalised legal markets, the UK government also backs the retention of appropriate regulatory frameworks within countries, to ensure national objectives, for instance, in consumer protection can continue to be effectively met.

Baroness Ashton concluded:

"What we are seeking is better access to global markets for our lawyers to enable them to provide services to international business and investors in any country where there is a demand for them."

"Countries providing this sort of access tend to benefit from higher levels of inward investment, local professionals gain access to a more international client base and trade on both sides expands, permitting a win-win situation to develop."

"India is at the forefront of developing international business services to meet the needs of the 21st century economy. I am delighted to be going to India and look forward to discussing this programme with ministers of the new Government and members of the legal professions there."

During the course of her visit, Baroness Ashton will meet the Trade and Justice Ministers in New Delhi, and will then travel to Chandigarh, Bangalore and Chennai to engage in discussions with State Bar Councils.

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