SLCC welcomes Scottish Government statement on legal services regulation reform

The SLCC has commented on today’s statement by the Scottish Government on a revised regulatory model for legal services

Neil Stevenson, Chief Executive said, “We’ve long called for reform to the regulation and complaints system to make it more efficient and effective and to increase trust and confidence in regulation and legal services.

“In our 2016 paper, Reimagine Regulation, we said that the legislation that governs our work creates a slow and cumbersome process that builds in delay and confusion. That is frustrating and dispiriting for complainers who want to move on, and stressful for lawyers who work under the cloud of an unresolved complaint.

“We’re pleased the Reimagine Regulation work is noted in the statement, and to see proposals for a more flexible and proportionate approach. We look forward to working with others to make this new approach a reality. 

“We had hoped to see more fundamental reform to better reflect the legal services sector of today and of the future. We also saw opportunities to drive efficiency by reducing existing duplication of processes, functions and back-office systems across multiple bodies which have not been delivered.

“However, we do believe these proposals could help to create a more efficient and proportionate complaints system, one that resolves complaints swiftly and draws learning from them to drive improvement. Proposals to improve transparency and accountability across the regulatory system are also very welcome.

“We all have a stake in a regulatory system that regulates in the public interest, promotes public confidence and protects us if something goes wrong. We will work with Parliament to ensure the forthcoming Bill helps to achieve that.”