The Legal Services Board of England and Wales is running a Reshaping Legal Services Conference on 7 March 2024, below is an abridged version of the programme: Ethics: Ethics, integrity and the rule of law The human impact of aggressive litigation: In conversation with Lee Castleton Panel: Professional ethics and the rule of law: The…
Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales launches a review of consumer protection
The SRA has initiated a comprehensive review of consumer protection measures in response to the emergence of new risks in the legal sector. The review targets two primary areas: firstly, enhancing risk identification, monitoring, and approval processes for regulated law firms to mitigate consumer harm, particularly around client money; secondly, assessing the adequacy of current…
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales is recruiting a Director of Consumer Policy and Engagement
The post of Director of Consumer Policy and Engagement will be responsible for driving confidence and trust in legal services, engaging in key debates about consumer policy and maintaining close engagement with consumers and consumer groups, and deepening the connection between strategic objectives and policy developments. This new position will lead a new team within…
The Legal Services Consumer Panel voices concern about lack of implementation of key recommendations of a 2016 Competition and Markets Authority review of the legal services market
The Legal Services Consumer Panel of England and Wales has expressed concern over the slow implementation of quality indicators in the legal services market, as recommended by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2016. Despite some progress on price transparency and service information, the Panel notes that very little has been done to ensure…
The Victorian Law Foundation of Australia publishes report exploring costs in legal services
The Victorian Law Foundation conducted research commissioned by The Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner (VLSB+C) examining factors influencing the pricing of legal services, practitioner-client communication regarding anticipated costs, and the impact of service costs on the lawyer-client relationship. Findings indicate that time is a central measure for price-setting, even for fixed-fee services, with practitioners…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales issues consultation to improve consumer protection
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is set to expand its powers to protect the public by introducing rule changes following a consultation. The proposed changes involve giving the Disciplinary Tribunal the authority to impose interim restrictions on a barrister’s practising certificate or withdraw practising rights on an interim basis when a finding of misconduct has…
The Legal Services Board of England and Wales launches consultation on consumer-focused regulation
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has initiated a consultation on its draft business plan and budget for 2024/25, aiming to enhance regulation’s role in shaping a legal services market aligned with societal needs. The plan focuses on strengthening direct oversight of regulators, ensuring their effective performance and resilience in conducting regulatory reviews. Anticipating resource demands,…
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales has taken over the management of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has taken over management of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) to ensure future consumer protection for post six-year negligence claims. The new arrangements came into effect on 1 October 2023. The SRA-run scheme will provide ongoing protection for clients and ensure efficient and effective operation. A new claim form with…
Solicitors Regulation Authority opens consultation on new indemnity scheme
The SRA is consulting on the arrangements and rules of an indemnity scheme that they run to provide future consumer protection for post six-year negligence. This follows a decision by the Board in September that an SRA-run indemnity scheme offered the most cost-effective and proportionate solution to providing appropriate consumer protection for post six-year claims….
The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation has released a supplementary report on consumer harm and legal services
The catalyst for the Review was the market study carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2016. The CMA concluded that the legal sector was not serving the consumer well. This supplementary report fills in some of the gaps left by the final report. Chiefly, the final report assumes the nature of consumer…