Interim Interim Legal Services Ombudsman to be appointed - because of the media attention in "The Herald"

Well, I think we can safely say - Thank God we have "The Herald" as a newspaper in Scotland to headline some of the inadequacies of Government .. when it comes to Legal issues involving the legal profession ... some other newspapers just completely missed this .. amid deals with the legal profession of course, to keep up their flagging circulation ....

Well, as it is reported, the Justice Department of the Scottish Executive - which must certainly rank as a 5 star pot of corruption at the moment, amid the claims of the McKie inquiry (and many more legal scandals besides) .. .have 'pledged' to keep 'continuity' over the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman's duties to investigate & report on complaints against the Law Society of Scotland - which are rising every day ....

I wonder just who they are going to appoint to the position of SLSO, which was vacated last week by Linda Costelloe Baker because the Executive had failed to respond to her requests for further funding and even her own resignation letter .....

Maybe some crony from the Law Society of Scotland perhaps ? there is an ever growing list of crooked lawyers and staff at the Law Society of Scotland who could temporarily fill the position and fiddle the complaints statistics so it looks like everything is well (just in time for the Justice 2 Inquiry of course) ... or maybe some bent ex-minister or politician who bungs the Executive political loans or favours could do the rounds temporarily ? ... .the mind boggles ....

It's interesting though that this is happening just now, with the announcement of the "Legal Profession & Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill" going off to the Justice 2 Committee to be considered ....

... Are we seeing perhaps some kind of strategy agreed with the Scottish Executive & the Law Society of Scotland to undermine the Bill before it even gets a chance to be heard ? ... perhaps delay things so much that it doesn't come into Law at all ? ... yes, there certainly seems a chance of that given what is happening ... because from what we have already seen in the many legal scandals which have come and gone, and come back again ... nothing really happens as an 'accident', does it ? Madam Justice Minister .... nothing really happens as an 'honest mistake' .... does it ? Mr McConnell .... somehow, events are planned from the outset .. to cover up secret deals and friends positions .. and as one who has studied many legal & political scandals in Scotland recently, I think we have another one brewing here right now .....

Oh yes .. the simple explanation - Scottish Executive decides to silence critics & campaigners against the legal profession by bringing in a Bill to give independent regulation - but secretly makes a deal with the legal profession to delay and destroy the bill, so that when the time comes to bring it into law ... there is either an election, a new Government, or that the Justice 2 Committee has fiddled the new legislation so much on party political orders .. that it just doesn't get through ....

So .... Here we go again ? .. time for another round of disgracing some politicians I think .... and the books are certainly full of info to do it :)

Here's the article from "The Herald".

http://www.theherald.co.uk/business/59724.html

Continuity pledge over legal sevices watchdog
PAUL ROGERSON April 10 2006

The Herald's report last week about the non-existent handover arrangements relating to the office of outgoing legal services watchdog Linda Costelloe Baker appears to have struck a chord.

The justice department has pledged to "take steps to ensure continuity of service" at the Edinburgh headquarters of the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman.

It is rumoured the executive may be ready to appoint an "interim, interim ombudsman" – someone to hold the fort until Costelloe Baker's successor, itself a temporary appointment, takes office later this year.

One informed source reckons the stop-gap appointee could be in post as early as April 26.

Such a move would help avoid a hefty backlog of un-resolved complaints about the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates which would otherwise have been left to gather dust over the next few months.

Costelloe Baker has only one day left to work and departs officially at the end of April. The executive did not advertise the post until March 30.

Costelloe Baker was deeply annoyed about the delay, pointing out that she told the executive in January that she was going. She felt moved to write some 200 letters to lawyers and complainers admitting she had no news of when her successor would be appointed. Her team continues to investigate complaints but does not have authority to sign off recommendations.

The society is also anxious to see the problem resolved. President Caroline Flanagan said: "The Ombudsman has repeatedly flagged the issue of her successor with the executive and that the post is likely to remain vacant for a number of months. The society has done likewise.

"This will affect the society's ability to consistently deal with 75% of complaints in six months. Any delay causes confusion and upset to people who are already concerned and unhappy.

"The delay in appointing a successor damages the public perception of the executive's commitment to dealing effectively with complaints-handling issues. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

"The complaints process can be complex and it will take time for any new appointment to get up to speed."