Legal Services Board
Legal Services Board approves new SRA Handbook in full
The Legal Services Board has approved the new SRA Handbook, including the controversial proposal to allow solicitors to provide unreserved services to the public from unregulated businesses.
New rules to bolster legal regulators’ independence
New rules which clearly limit the influence the Law Society can have on the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the Bar Council on the Bar Standards Board, have been published.
LSB: Regulators making “good progress” on publishing prices
The frontline regulators are making “very good progress” in improving price transparency, the Legal Services Board has said – but its consumer panel was far less impressed.
LSB treads carefully as it warns over legal aid cuts
The Legal Services Board has stepped carefully into the debate over legal aid cuts by highlighting the increasing number of people handling legal problems alone.
Price transparency regime for solicitors approved
The Legal Services Board has approved new rules proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority requiring law firms to publish prices for a range of consumer and business services.
LSB: SMEs attracted by firms with price transparency
When small businesses believe they can trust the transparency of legal providers on fees, they are twice as likely to seek the advice of lawyers, according to the Legal Services Board.
LSB reforms to end “different treatment” for accountants
The Legal Services Board is to impose reform that will end the “different treatment” for accountancy regulators which also oversee legal services.
Mayson to lead review of legal regulation
The Centre for Ethics & Laws at University College London is to hold an independent review into the regulatory framework for legal services.
New chair of Legal Services Board named 14 months after last one left
The Legal Services Board finally has a permanent chair after Dr Helen Phillips was given an unprecedented five-year term, while the Law Society finally has a permanent CEO.
Law Society censure “shows that LSB governance rules work”
The Legal Services Board’s public censure of the Law Society last month is evidence that its rules on regulatory independence do not need tightening, the Bar Council has argued.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
