UK Legal Services Bill Published In Parliament

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

27 November 2006

The UK government's new Legal Services Bill, designed to overhaul the way legal services in England and Wales are regulated, was published in parliament on Friday.

The Legal Services Bill introduces sweeping reforms in the regulation of the legal sector, brings in an independent complaints body and opens the way for consumers to buy legal and other services under one roof.

The new Legal Services Board will act as a single, independent and publicly accountable regulator with power to enforce high standards in the legal sector, replacing a number of regulators with overlapping powers.

The Bill, published last week by the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, also introduces:

• A new kind of Alternative Business Structure that enables consumers to get services from one business entity that brings together lawyers and non-lawyers, increasing competitiveness and improving services.
• A single and fully independent Office for Legal Complaints to remove complaints handling from lawyers and restore consumer confidence.

Lord Falconer announced that:

"Today's proposals aim to increase public confidence in acquiring legal services that are fit for purpose. The Legal Services Board will oversee approved regulators who will be required to separate regulation and representation, thus removing any conflict of interest."

"Currently, bodies that regulate legal services provision also act as representatives of their profession, a position that could raise the question of impartiality."

"The Office of Legal Complaints will further increase public confidence through handling consumer complaints against legal services providers and ensuring a quick and fair response."

He concluded:

"These are bold steps. But they have been taken after long and careful study, informed by a large cross-section of people from expert bodies such as the Office of Fair Trading, to the consumer panel to individual complaints from consumers."

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