Society seeks answers from report
29 Jun 06
Justice 2 Committee report on Legal Profession Bill expected tomorrow
The Law Society of Scotland has expressed the hope that a report on the Scottish Executive's proposed changes to the regulation of solicitors will help clear up unanswered questions before the bill becomes law.
Speaking in advance of the publication, expected tomorrow, of the Justice 2 Committee's report on the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill, the Society's chief executive Douglas Mill said: “The committee has had a difficult task to do in examining proposed legislation in which there are many gaps, and about which there remain many unanswered questions. The bill relies on too many guesstimates.
“Regulation of solicitors is a complicated process and to ensure there is real improvement for consumers, the public and solicitors, we need a fuller picture from the Scottish Executive sooner rather than later.
"We hope that concerns over ECHR compliance, access to justice, cost and independence will be answered fully before this bill becomes law. The committee has asked many searching questions in its evidence sessions along these lines and we await the report, as well as the Scottish Executive’s response to it, with interest.”