Petition · PE01479 · Session 4
Complaints about solicitors
Signatures
1
Comments
0
Considered
11 meetings
What it asks
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 by removing any references to complaints being made timeously.
What the petitioner did first
On 8 December 2012 I wrote to MSP Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice. In a letter dated 20 December 2012 he stated that Scottish Ministers and the Government do not have any power to comment on or intervene in individual cases. This is because the process for making complaints against members of the legal profession is independent of the Scottish Government; this is to preserve the independence of the legal system and to protect it from political interference.
On 15 February 2013 I contacted an official at the Scottish Government Justice Directorate. In an email reply he stated that regarding the legal profession, the independence from government of both the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is essential to maintaining a fair and effective system of complaints in these matters, whether it is about the service received or the individual conduct of a solicitor. He also stated that the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 creates the operational framework for dealing with such complaints and he appreciates that the timelines sometimes involved may appear protracted. He stated that the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, the Law Society, and other professional bodies and interests are already considering the scope for change to current arrangements and that it is not certain at this stage the extent of amendment which will be required to the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 or whether much of the consensus reached can be realised by changes in business processes.
On 15 February 2013 I contacted an official at the Scottish Government Justice Directorate. In an email reply he stated that regarding the legal profession, the independence from government of both the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is essential to maintaining a fair and effective system of complaints in these matters, whether it is about the service received or the individual conduct of a solicitor. He also stated that the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 creates the operational framework for dealing with such complaints and he appreciates that the timelines sometimes involved may appear protracted. He stated that the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, the Law Society, and other professional bodies and interests are already considering the scope for change to current arrangements and that it is not certain at this stage the extent of amendment which will be required to the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 or whether much of the consensus reached can be realised by changes in business processes.
Where it was considered
Official Report-
28 May 20131 mention
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1 Oct 20131 mention
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17 Dec 20131 mention
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18 Feb 20141 mention
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3 Jun 20142 mentions
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4 Nov 20141 mention
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3 Feb 20151 mention
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21 Apr 20151 mention
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22 Sep 20151 mention
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29 Sep 20151 mention
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5 Jan 20161 mention
Signatures by country
No online signatures are recorded for this petition; the total above may include paper signatures.
Comments
No public comments.