Council approves paper on future of practice

Proposals on new business entities to be debated at annual meeting

News, 4 April 2008

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A policy paper on alternative business structures was today approved for publication by the Law Society of Scotland's Council, with calls for a full debate at the annual general meeting next month.

The policy paper considers how the options for reforming the legal services market would work in practice, examining various business models and the regulatory impacts of change.

The report is based on a wide ranging public consultation which took place during the winter, as well as the discussions and recommendations of the Society’s Alternative Business Structures Working Group, which includes representatives from all sections of the profession.

It looks at ways of opening up legal services while promoting access to justice and safeguarding the profession’s core principles.

The Society President, Richard Henderson, called on solicitors and others with an interest to take part in the debate at the AGM on 22 May at The Hub in Edinburgh

He said: “The AGM is for the whole profession to have their say and I hope there will be a wide range of views expressed.”

The policy paper will be published widely later this month. If it is endorsed at the AGM, the Society will submit the paper to Scottish Ministers for consideration.

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