New LSB chief: primary legislation needed to reduce regulatory complexity


Sir Michael Pitt

Sir Michael Pitt: regulation must move at “market pace”

Sir Michael Pitt, the new chairman of the Legal Services Board, has said that primary legislation will be needed to reduce the complexity of legal regulation and ensure it moves “at market pace”.

His first public statement since taking office a month ago lays down a marker to the government, which earlier this month ruled out major changes to the legislative structure of regulation for the time being.

Justice minister Shailesh Vara instead put on the onus on frontline regulators to reduce burdens on practitioners.

In the latest edition of the LSB’s quarterly newsletter, Sir Michael welcomed the government’s emphasis on “growth, simplification and deregulation”, themes which he described as central to the LSB’s work programme this year.

He said he was “heartened” in his early contacts with legal regulators to see them “embracing the necessary changes”.

Sir Michael added: “The LSB remains committed to making the maximum progress possible with our partners within the current fragmented and complex framework, but changes to primary legislation will eventually be needed to ensure a clear and consistent framework which moves at market pace.”

It is as yet unknown whether Sir Michael supports the LSB’s position that, in time, there should be a single regulator for the legal profession. David Edmonds, his predecessor, made no secret of his wish to see a single regulator, and Chris Kenny, chief executive of the LSB, predicted earlier this month that the move would happen in 10 years’ time.

Journalists will get their first chance to quiz Sir Michael about his initial thoughts on the legal landscape in around a month.

Tags:




Leave a Comment

By clicking Submit you consent to Legal Futures storing your personal data and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy and section 5 of our Terms & Conditions which deals with user-generated content. All comments will be moderated before posting.

Required fields are marked *
Email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog


Use the tools available to stop doing the work you shouldn’t be doing anyway

We are increasingly taken for granted in the world of Do It Yourself, in which we’re required to do some of the work we have ostensibly paid for, such as in banking, travel and technology


Quality indicators – peer recommendations over review websites

I often feel that I am banging the SRA’s drum for them when it comes to transparency but it’s because I genuinely believe in clarity when it comes to promoting quality professional services.


Embracing the future: Navigating AI in litigation

Whilst the UK courts have shown resistance to change over time, in the past decade they have embraced the use of some technologies that naturally improve efficiency. Now we’re in the age of AI.


Loading animation