The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has opened a public consultation into the draft of the amendment of the ‘Rules on Reporting and Submission of Supporting Materials Regarding Immunity from or Reduction of Surcharges’, and the draft of the ‘Guidelines to the Reduction System for Cooperation in Investigation’, following the passage of new anti-monopoly laws last…
Notes on the Westminster Legal Policy Forum keynote seminar – 25th February 2020
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…
Nudge regulation and innovation policy
Abstract Whilst there is widespread agreement among decision makers that fostering innovation should be a priority, there is far less consensus on how to achieve this objective. Given the fact that the effects of new technologies are often unknown, in the early stages of technological development, there might be insufficient information for conducting a cost-benefit…
Legal Services Regulatory Authority publishes annual report
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) in Ireland has published its 2019 Annual Report which provides an overview of its performance for the year, including its new role in handling public complaints relating to solicitors and barristers. The Annual Report contains statistical data on complaints and early trends, including: During the 12 week period from…
Law Society of Saskatchewan amends Legal Profession Act to expand access to legal services
The Law Society of Saskatchewan has announced amendments to the Legal Profession Act, 1990, effective from 1 January 2020. The Law Society is an independent regulator with the core mandate of the protection of public interest. In 2017 the Law Society and the Ministry of Justice established the Legal Services Task Team, comprised of lawyers,…
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…
SRA launches legal access challenge
Legal Access Challenge launched to encourage innovation Six in 10 don’t think the legal system in England and Wales is set up for ordinary people Many who experience a legal problem don’t take professional advice, citing cost and trust as key barriers Eight in 10 say it needs to be easier for people to access…
Independent Review of UK Legal Services Regulation Launched
The Centre for Ethics and Law in the UCL Faculty of Laws is undertaking a fundamental review of the current regulatory framework for legal services, led by Honorary Professor Stephen Mayson. The independent review is intended to explore the longer-term and related issues raised by the 2016 Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) market study, which concluded that the legal services sector…
Four steps legal regulators can take to embrace their data
Data has always been a foundational part of the practice of law. However, the convenience, accessibility, and speed of digital mediums is transforming the discipline from within. Law firms are stepping up the plate leveraging their internal data, as well as industry data to make their practice and delivery of services more efficient and effective….
An Australian Study on Lawyer Vulnerability and Legal Misconduct
Vulnerability to Legal Misconduct: Qualitative Study of Regulatory Decisions Involving Problem Lawyers and Their Clients An emerging body of scholarship discusses ‘vulnerability’ as an antecedent of legal misconduct. One conceptualization of vulnerability indicates that an individual has greater susceptibility to risk of harm, and safeguards may protect against that risk of harm. This empirical study…