Barristers Fight Legal Services Bill
19 FEBRUARY 2007
Bar Council Press ReleaseThe Bar Council, which represents 14,000 barristers in England and Wales, will this week launch a major new lobbying offensive over the Legal Services Bill, currently before the House of Lords.
The Bar has voiced concerns during the passage of the Bill about the impact it could have on the independence of the legal profession, arguing that its contribution to the UK economy could be jeopardised.
It has also warned of the high cost of setting up the Bill’s proposed new regulatory architecture and the need to limit such costs by ensuring that the new Legal Services Board is a truly light-touch regulator, and by giving the Office for Legal Complaints the power to delegate complaints handling to the Bar Council, acting through the Bar Standards Board. The Bar Council’s record on handling consumer complaints has been both excellent and economical.