All providers of legal services, regardless of whether they are qualified lawyers, should be overseen by one super-watchdog, ministers have been told in a call for regulatory reform.
A report published today by Stephen Mayson, a former barrister who is now a prominent academic and legal consultant, recommends the ditching of the existing structure, which involves a complex web of regulatory bodies.
John Gould, who was a member of the Advisory Panel to the review, welcomes the report's recommendations but warns that there may be difficulties in enacting change. "There should be a hunger for reform," he says. "Perhaps those responsible to deliver change have no appetite at all to do so."
One watchdog to rule them all: a way out of legal maze is available to read on The Times website via subscription.
John is Senior Partner of Russell-Cooke. His area of particular expertise is regulation and public law. He specialises in the analysis and solution of complex regulatory problems, advising regulators, government departments, law enforcement agencies, charities and statutory and professional bodies.