Queens Speech 2006 and Reaction Feature
Government Reveals Future Plans
Prime Minister's Press Release
15 November 2006
Her Majesty the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament Measures
to deal with climate change and provide "strong, secure and
stable" communities are at the centre of this year's Queen's
Speech.
The Government plans to put victims at the heart of the criminal
justice system and push ahead with the development of ID cards.
Among the 29 Bills revealed during the State Opening of
Parliament today are proposals for greater powers for the
immigration service and long-term reform of the pension system.
There will also be changes to further education, an improved
child support system and measures to tackle road congestion and
offer better public transport.
The Bills are designed to "reflect the priorities of the British
people" and tackle the "big issues that will affect future
generations".
Look here for the speech in every conceivable format:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page10419.asp
Download background documents:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page10420.asp
Queen's Speech Reaction
Bar Council to Seek Public Interest Amendments to
Legal Services Bill.
Bar Council Press Release
15 November 2006
The Bar Council, which represents 14,000 barristers in
England and Wales, today said it would be lobbying for changes to
the Legal Services Bill, heralded in today's Queen's Speech, to
ensure the legislation served the public interest. The Bill,
which reforms the regulation of lawyers, could see the
introduction of a costly new Legal Services Board (LSB) and
Office of Legal Complaints (OLC), the Bar Council has warned.
Legal Services Bill Must Preserve Independence
of Legal Profession
Law Society Press Release
15 November 2006
The Law Society is concerned that legislation that the government
plans to introduce shortly will damage the independence of the
legal profession from government by introducing a
government-appointed super-regulator with excessive powers to
intervene. The Law Society has indicated its support in
principle for:
* The creation of a light-touch over-arching regulator, the Legal
Services Board.
* The creation of a wholly independent body, the Office for Legal
Complaints, to deal with all consumer complaints against lawyers.
* Powers to enable new vehicles through which legal services can
be provided to the public.
BUT . . . .read on