This ICLR special report has been compiled to give members a flavour of what was discussed during the annual Westminster Legal Policy Forum, held on the 25th February 2020. The theme of the day was ‘regulation, consumer protection and responding to innovation’, with speakers drawn from across regulators, representative bodies, academia and the legal services…
SRA report on disability in the workplace reveals disparity with overall population
Research released by the SRA has highlighted unwillingness amongst legal professionals with a disability to inform their employer of their situation. This, in turn, suggests that firms may not be doing enough to facilitate working conditions that are conducive to working with a disability. The report finds that 3% of solicitors report as having a…
LSB announces new consumer panel appointment in push for increased public focus
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced the appointment of former barrister and current Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Epsom and Ewell, Lisa Davis to the newly formed Legal Services Consumer Panel. The role of the panel is to try to better gauge public engagement with the legal services sector. The appointment comes on the back…
Regulatory responses to COVID-19
We’ve put together the following list to examine different regulator responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions or best practice for the rest of the ICLR community, please do get in touch, and we will be happy to include any of these in the next newsletter. The Nederlandse Orde Van Advocaten has…
Key findings from largest ever legal needs survey in England and Wales
A survey has been conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Legal Services Board (LSB) and the Law Society of England and Wales, looking to examine the current state of legal need across the jurisdiction. A nationally representative sample of 28,633 members of the public was consulted on 34 different types of legal issues, in order…
BSB publishes annual report on diversity at the Bar
On the 31st January, the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales (BSB) published its annual report on diversity at the Bar. The report demonstrates that there has been some progress, with increased diversity and representation across the profession. However, the report also demonstrated that whilst the direction of travel was positive, there is still…
BSB publishes research into barristers’ attitudes to CPD revisions
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a report on the impact of their revised approach to regulating barristers’ Continuing Professional Development. The report found that the general attitude towards the scheme amongst barristers was positive, with many welcoming the improved flexibility of the rules, however the report also suggested that there was some misunderstanding…
Ethics and in house lawyers
A survey of 400 in-house lawyers, carried out by law professors from Exeter University and University College London in collaboration with flexible legal services provider Lawyers on Demand, has revealed that a third of in-house lawyers are sometimes placed in difficult moral positions. The research found that: 32% were asked ‘to advise or assist on things that made…
BSB modernises its regulatory decision-making
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has taken a number of steps to modernise its regulatory decision-making. Recent changes include: A new edition of its handbook – introducing new Enforcement Decision Regulations The establishment of a new Independent Decision-making Body (IDB) The creation of a new Independent Reviewer role to carry out requests for the review of individual decisions The launch of…
Reasonable adjustments in the provision of legal services: a report for the Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Competition and Markets Authority reported in 2016 that one of the major barriers to accessing and understanding legal services was a general lack of accessibility, particularly in how information is presented and shared. Charities such as Citizens Advice and Age UK have suggested that this is of particular concern regarding people who, due to…