On Wednesday the 3rd June, The Law Society of Scotland launched a three-year action plan that aims to tackle the stigma around mental health in the legal sector. The plan follows the release of a survey in 2019 on the Scottish legal profession and individual views on mental health and the workplace. The full survey…
CMA releases report and recommendations on Scottish legal services
On the 24th March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) released its review and recommendations on the legal services market in Scotland. One of the key recommendations put forward in the report is that an independent body should be set up to regulate the profession, separating representative and regulatory functions. The CMA has suggested that “Separating…
Law Society of Scotland and Information Commissioner’s Office collaboration on legal tech
A collaboration between the Law Society of Scotland and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is set to provide a boost to the legal tech sector in Scotland, through assistance in developing technology-based solutions to GDPR issues. The Law Society of Scotland has signed a memorandum of understanding with the ICO which allows it to act as a…
Legal services reform in Scotland – regulation, international competitiveness and seizing opportunities for innovation
Edinburgh, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 This conference will discuss the next steps for legal services in Scotland. Delegates will examine: Major proposals for regulatory reform; The sector’s international competitiveness going forward; and The impact of innovation in legal technology. The conference includes a ministerial contribution – and will be an opportunity to discuss the issues as…
Law Society of Scotland releases guidance to improve price transparency
The Law Society of Scotland has published guidance on pricing for solicitors, aimed to improve consumer understanding of the cost of legal services. The guidance encourages firms to publish indicative pricing up-front, allowing consumers to gain a broad overview of price comparison before they contact a solicitor. The guidance will come into effect on 1…
UK Competition and Markets Authority to research Scottish legal services market
The Competition and Markets Authority has issued the following press release regarding its impending research into certain aspects of the Scottish legal services market to support the Scottish Government’s response to the Roberton Review. The following release was published 17 June 2019. This work has been prompted by the Roberton Review, an Independent Review of…
The Law Society of Scotland launches price transparency consultation
The Law Society of Scotland is asking the legal profession and consumer bodies for their views on price transparency for legal services. The consultation, Price transparency – promoting consumer choice, aims to stimulate discussion within the legal profession and among other stakeholders, including consumer-interest groups, and is seeking views on the benefits and challenges of…
The Law Society of Scotland proposes reforms to legal services regulation
The Law Society of Scotland has called for wide-ranging reforms that will allow it to keep pace with global developments within the sector and improve consumer protection. It has set out a series of recommendations in its submission to an independent review of legal services regulation which include expanding consumer protections to currently unregulated areas of legal…
Attitudes to dishonesty by health and care professionals
This research looks at public and professional attitudes towards dishonest behaviour by health and care professionals. The researchers used qualitative methods to explore responses to a number of scenarios based on real-life cases of professional dishonesty. The research was commissioned by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), which oversees the work of nine statutory healthcare regulators…