Regulatory practice review

Legal regulation review: report published

The Law Society has published Lord Hunt of Wirral's report into the regulation of legal services. Lord Hunt was commissioned by the Law Society in October 2008 to advise on what was needed to establish best modern practice in the regulation of solicitors.
Read the full press release
View the report

Background information

The Law Society has commissioned a review that will advise on the future regulation of law firms. This review will produce a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring that legal services regulation is effective for consumers, businesses and the legal sector.

Lord Hunt of Wirral, who has broad experience of the legal profession and of regulation in other sectors, will conduct the review. He will consult widely with all stakeholders and draw extensively on the experience of the SRA. The SRA will be a key consultee and their input will be vital to the success of the review. The regulatory arm will decide whether to implement the conclusions of the main review.

The review is expected to take nine months and will involve a number of key stages including:

  • initial work and meetings with key stakeholders
  • consultation paper publish and start of a major consultation programme
  • consultation close and consideration of recommendations
  • report publish.

The report will address the terms of reference below and make recommendations for change. A series of questions and answers are available that provide more information.
Read the questions and answers

Call for evidence

30 June 2009 – Society responds to Lord Hunt's interim thoughts

The Law Society has published its response to Lord Hunt's initial views on the responses to his Call For Evidence. Our response addresses a number of important issues raised in Lord Hunt's initial response.
Read our response (PDF, 89kb)

6 May 2009 – Lord Hunt's interim thoughts

Lord Hunt has launched his initial response to evidence submitted to his review of regulation of the solicitors profession.
Read the initial response
Read our press release

24 April 2009 – Society responds to Lord Hunt's review of regulation of law firms

The Law Society has published its response to the call for evidence from Lord Hunt's review of regulation. The review will advise on what is needed to achieve good, modern regulation of all law firms across England and Wales. Our response addresses a number of important issues raised in the call for evidence. 
Read the full press release
Read our response

21 January 2009 – launch of call for evidence

Lord Hunt has launched his evidence gathering process by publishing a formal Call for Evidence document, on 15 January. The publication inaugurates a three month initial consultation period which will end on Thursday 9 April 2009.

Lord Hunt stated that: 'A great many people are involved with the provision of legal services, either as practitioners or as clients, and I hope as many of them as possible will read this document, and then respond substantively to it. Only if we receive submissions from the broadest possible range of firms and individuals will we be able to produce final recommendations that really fit the bill. I urge everyone with something to contribute, to let us know their thoughts as part of this process.'

Submissions will provide the material for an Initial Response to Consultation Document which will be made publicly available in late spring.

Read the call for evidence on the Legal Regulation Review website.

Read a guide to submissions (PDF, 73KB)

Further information and progress updates will be made available over the course of the review.

Terms of reference

'In light of current and forthcoming changes in the Legal Services market, the differing needs of different types of client, current regulatory debates and the need to promote equality and diversity, to consider the appropriate regulatory rules, monitoring and enforcement regime to ensure high standards of integrity and professionalism for solicitors and their firms in all sectors, and to make recommendations.'

Read the Legal Regulation Review brief. (PDF, 57KB)

Regulation of corporate law firms

The review will also explore the regulatory risks involved with firms undertaking work for corporate clients as a separate strand. It will examine the suitability of structures that are based on the need to protect individual consumers, for regulation of corporate law firms. The review will examine:

  • the extent to which the present regulatory regime is appropriate for such firms, and
  • whether it is preferable to establish a separate regime for some or all of the regulatory functions for firms undertaking largely corporate work.

This strand will be led by Nicholas Smedley, a former senior civil servant from the Ministry of Justice. He will be supported by a reference group, chaired by the vice president of the Law Society, Bob Heslett. The reference group will include representatives of large corporate firms and of corporate clients.

Review of the regulation of corporate legal work: report published

26 March 2009

Nick Smedley has published his report into the regulatory risks involved with firms who undertake work for corporate clients. The report examines the suitability of the present regime in order to determine whether those that conducted corporate work are being regulated in an appropriate manner.

At the launch of the report Nick Smedley stated:

'Regulation of corporate legal work is in urgent need of modernisation.The current arrangements for regulating this vital sector of the UK economy and legal services sector are not robust enough. Without rapid change, it is impossible to conclude that the current regulatory arrangements are fit for purpose.'

This work is a distinct sub-strand of the review into the regulation of the whole solicitors profession that is being conducted by Rt Hon Lord Hunt of Wirral.
Read the report
See an interview with Nick Smedley