Summary
‘Legal Services Act 2007’
(Chapter 29) reforms the way legal services in England and Wales are
regulated and puts the consumer interest at the heart of the regulatory
framework. It received Royal Assent on 30 October 2007.
The Legal
Services Act sets out the framework for reform, which include setting up a
Legal Services Board and an Office for Legal Complaints and enabling legal
services to be provided under new business structures.
Its main
provisions are:
- The establishment of a Legal Services Board (LSB)
as a single oversight body, independent from both Government and approved
regulators, to provide a more consistent and coherent framework of
regulation
- The establishment of an independent Office for Legal
Complaints (OLC) as a body with statutory power to handle complaints concerning
providers of legal services, and to award redress to consumers in appropriate
circumstances. It will address concerns about the quality, independence, and
consistency of complaints handling by the legal professions
- Alternative
Business Structures (ABS) which will enable lawyers and non-lawyers to work
together on an equal footing to deliver legal and other services in ways that
better meet the needs of consumers. External investment will be possible, and
new business structures will give legal providers greater flexibility to
respond to market demands. Licences will be conferred by licensing authorities
and various safeguards will be set in place.
Other provisions
cover:
- The application of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid
(Scotland) Act 2006
- The Scottish legal services ombudsman.
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