Legal regulation review: report published
Released on:
06/10/2009
The Law Society has published Lord Hunt of Wirral’s report into the regulation of legal services. Lord Hunt was commissioned by the Law Society in October 2008 to advise on what was needed to establish best modern practice in the regulation of solicitors.
The legal sector is undergoing a radical transformation. Alternative Business Structures will have to be assimilated into the legal regulatory system, the ever changing demands of clients will need to be satisfied, and English and Welsh law must maintain the high international reputation which provides so many business benefits for the UK. For these, and many other reasons, it is critically important that the regulatory system is constantly re-evaluated to ensure it is fit to meet both new challenges, and long standing regulatory needs.
Bob Heslett, President of the Law Society, welcomed Lord Hunt's report and said:
"We commissioned Lord Hunt to undertake this work because we were conscious that although there had been exhaustive consideration of the structure for regulation of legal services, much less attention has been paid to the vital question how effective modern regulation of the solicitors profession should actually operate - in the interests of both the public and the profession. Lord Hunt has set out an imaginative and thought provoking blueprint which I am confident will be invaluable to the SRA as it charts its way forward for the future. We look forward to working closely with the SRA as it develops its approach."
Lord Hunt of Wirral said:
"It has been a great pleasure and privilege to lead this review and write this report, on behalf of the Law Society of England and Wales. The legal profession and the SRA now have an unrivalled opportunity to work in partnership, setting the pace for other professions with cutting-edge, principles-based regulation. I hope the ideas I set out in this report will help to form the basis for a new gold standard in professional regulation, based upon robust internal governance, comprehensive regulatory compliance and the highest professional standards."
View Lord Hunt of Wirral's full report here
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