The legal sector’s main regulators and representative bodies are to be grilled by an influential cross-party group of MPs – which wants suggestions on what to question them on.
The House of Commons justice select committee announced today that it will be hearing evidence from the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority, CILEX, CILEx Regulation, Bar Council, Bar Standards Board and the Legal Services Board on ‘the regulation of the legal professions’. The committee last reviewed legal services regulation in 2016.
Legal chiefs will be questioned on the performance of the regulators, the professional bodies’ relationship with the regulators, the legal and institutional framework underpinning regulation, the role of regulation in supporting access to justice, how to improve the service provided to consumers and the health of the professions.
On 28 November, the committee will hear from the Bar Council, BSB, CILEX and CILEx Regulation. On 5 December, the Law Society, SRA and LSB will give evidence.
Discussions are likely to include CILEX’s controversial plan to transfer the regulation of legal executives from CILEx Regulation to the SRA, which is opposed by the Law Society.
Anyone wishing to raise issues with the committee in advance of the sessions is invited to email the committee by 22 November at justicecom@parliament.uk. The committee said legal aid is out of scope of the sessions and MPs will not be able to investigate individual or personal cases.
