Consumer panel
“Troubling inequality” persists for BAME consumers of legal services
A “troubling inequality” between BAME and White British consumers in the way they access legal services has changed little in the five years since it raised the issue, the consumer panel has found.
Consumers “more likely to both shop around and complain”
Consumers of legal services are more likely to shop around and to make a formal complaint if they do not get what they want than in previous years, new research has found.
Unregulated firms should have access to regulatory sandboxes
Legal regulators should allow unregulated firms to test their ideas in regulatory sandboxes set up to foster innovation, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.
Call for impartial websites on quality of lawyers’ services
Independent websites providing impartial information on the quality of legal services providers are needed to guide people looking for a lawyer, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has argued.
LSB calls in the public to advise on policy
The Legal Services Board is to create a standing panel of members of the public to help develop future policies – in addition to its existing consumer panel.
Consumer panel slams compensation fund reforms
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has attacked SRA plans to reform the Compensation Fund, saying it should instead stop draining the fund to pay for closing down law firms.
Opinions split on SRA’s centralised higher rights test
Plans by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to introduce a centralised test for solicitors wanting higher rights of audience have divided opinions among organisations and individual solicitors.
Consumer panel urges more fixed fees and SRA fining powers
More use of fixed fees and an increase in the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s fining powers are among recommendations made today by the Legal Services Consumer Panel.
Lawyers hit back at complaint publication plans
The Law Society and Bar Council have strongly attacked plans by the Legal Ombudsman to extend its publication of information about complaints, arguing that it would not help consumers.
Law Society attacks “massively uncertain” Mayson reforms
Reforms to the regulation of legal services proposed by an independent review would lead to a “massively uncertain and costly system”, the president of the Law Society has said.
Blog
Legal education and training: Unfit for purpose
Legal education and training is not fit for today, let alone the future, and the approach of the main professional bodies to the need for greater accessibility and flexibility could not have been more different.
Renewing your PII this spring? Here’s what you need to know
Since abolition of the common renewal date, practices have been free to choose when to renew their professional indemnity insurance. We estimate that around 30-40% now renew between March and April.
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