Posts Tagged ‘Legal Services Act 2007’
Legal services regulation: the Mayson report
This is an important report on the need to rethink the approach to the regulation of legal services and those who provide them. The author Stephen Mayson has summarised his report on his blog. I reproduce what he wrote here, with his permission.
After two years, my final report of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation haas been published. It is available for download from this site and from UCL.
In 2016, the Competition & Markets Authority completed its market study and concluded that the legal services sector is not working well for individual consumers and small businesses, and that the current regulatory framework under the Legal Services Act 2007 is not sustainable in the long run. One of its recommendations was that the government should undertake a review of the current regulatory framework.
In light of Brexit, the Ministry understandably did not feel able at the time to commit to a formal review. In July 2018, I therefore volunteered to undertake the Independent Review on a pro bono basis under the auspices of the Centre for Ethics & Law, in the Faculty of Laws at University College London.
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Alternative Business Structures: keeping up to date
I’ve already noted that it is really hard keeping on track with the development of Alternative Business Structures. The Legal Futures blog (list in the right hand side of this page) is the best source of news and comment. I draw attention to two recent items which I think are important and interesting.
First is a piece by Chris Kenny, Chief Executive of the Legal Services Board, who argues that it is the market, not regulation, that is driving the development of ABS.
Second, is a really excellent survey by Neil Rose, founder of Legal Futures of where the ABS market has reached over the last couple of years.
To read these, go to http://www.legalfutures.co.uk/blog/time-turn-back-clock for the Kenny piece; and http://www.legalfutures.co.uk/blog/waiting-dyson-moment for the Rose article
Co-operative Legal Services: Podcast with Christina Blacklaws
Co-operative Legal Services was the first large organisation to be authorised by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority as an Alternative Business Structure. In this podcast, I talk to Christina Blacklaws, Head of Policy of Co-operative Legal Services.
She explains how the Co-op wanted to move into the legal services market by building on advice services they had for many year provided to their members. There is still a lot of emphasis on helping people to help themselves. But they wanted to be able to offer full legal services for members (and other members of the public) on issues that affect their daily lives, for example moving house, consumer matters, employment matters, family matters, housing matters, probate issues.
The new service is based in the fundamental values of the Cooperative movement.
3 hubs – in Manchester, Bristol and London – are supported by other staff in the Co-op – e.g. in their banks. They also work with other agencies, e.g. Shelter.
She argues that they key to their service is transparent pricing: each issue brought to the service is broken down into segments and clients pay for those segments of the service that they want.
She also argues that the structure of Co-operative Legal Services is an attractive environment for staff; there are opportunities for staff to develop legal skills to enable them to develop their full potential as lawyers.
To hear what Christina has to say go to http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/orc/resources/law/els/partington13_14/student/podcasts/Blacklaws.mp3
For more information about Co-op Legal Services go to http://www.co-operativelegalservices.co.uk/
Martin Partington: Introduction to the English Legal System 15th ed 2021
Oxford University Press Learning Link Resources
Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System 