Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Consumers & Govt insiders brand Law Society ‘too crooked’ to regulate ‘Tesco Law’ expansion of legal services in Scotland

Law Society of ScotlandLaw Society of Scotland branded too corrupt to regulate new legal services in Scotland. The Law Society of Scotland has been branded "too crooked" to regulate the Scottish legal services market after implementation of the changes proposed by the Scottish Government's “Tesco Law” Legal Services Bill, due to be introduced in a few weeks time to the Scottish Parliament. This view of many, including even insiders at the Scottish Government throws into question some proposals contained in the planned legislation, and rumours of ‘done deals behind closed doors with the Law Society’ over who will end up regulating non-lawyers entering the expanded legal services marketplace.

In my report of last week, the Scottish Government's Legal Services Bill announcement left many consumer groups and even some legal insiders questioning the scale of the changes proposed to the current legal services marketplace in Scotland. While the initial proposals contained little hints of policies to protect consumers from the increasing ranks of 'rogue lawyers' who are now routinely committing large scale & destructive frauds involving millions of pounds of clients funds in Scotland, there was much mention of ways in which law firms can receive external investment, and 'combine with other professionals' to offer legal services in new ways.

This afternoon, a Scottish Government insider who does not share a sympathetic view to continued self regulation of solicitors,, spoke of the need to avoid giving the Law Society of Scotland any more power in the arena of regulating those practicing legal services in any expanded market, branding the Law Society "too crooked to be trusted with regulating lawyers".

He said : "Even though the Law Society are lobbying hard to retain their regulation of legal services and come out on top in the Legal Services Bill proposals, the few sane thinkers in the Scottish Government who have had anything to do with them know these people are simply too crooked to be allowed anywhere near regulating complaints against their own colleagues."

He continued : "The fact is the Justice Department has been swamped by letters from members of the public over the years who cannot get anywhere near a fair hearing when they take their complaints to the Law Society about 'crooked lawyers'. Inevitably we as the Scottish Executive get dragged into their problems after having exhausted all avenues they either write to us directly or ask their local politicians to do so and on each occasion we have to write back to them saying the same thing that there is nothing we can do."

"This has happened thousands of times in the past few years, and if anyone is looking for an example of why the Law Society should not be allowed to regulate solicitors, they need only look at some of the cases brought to our attention, which include everything from fraud up to allegations of criminal activity by solicitors against the public. Any sane person having to read through thousands of such letters would come to the same conclusion that the Law Society, having ignored such quantity of pleas from the public, cannot be trusted as a regulator in any shape or form."

MacAskill tight lippedJustice Secretary Kenny MacAskill : Puppet of the legal profession or legal services consumer protection champion for Scotland ? As an experienced law reform campaigner I know full well the weight of representations made to the Scottish Government by members of the public, MSPs and MPs over the years, even having to go down the same route myself regarding the case of crooked lawyer Andrew Penman. I can therefore attest to the lack of help that successive administrations (including the present) have been to members of the public who have failed to secure justice when trying to pursue complaints & court cases against crooked members of Scotland's legal profession.

The lack of consumer protection measures in the Scottish Government's Legal Services Bill therefore concerns me, and on the basis of what is currently being talked about, I doubt we as the Scottish public will get much of a better deal and choice of legal representation as the proposals currently stand, unless the Bill’s parliamentary stage can incite significant amendments to some of what is currently proposed by the Justice Secretary.

Consumer Focus ScotlandConsumer Focus Scotland support an opened legal services market and consumer protection. Consumer Focus Scotland were asked for their reaction to the Government's announced plans for the Legal Services Bill, and issued the following statement : "We made clear in our response to the Scottish Government consultation ‘Wider Choice and Better Protection: a consultation paper on the regulation of legal services in Scotland’, we support the liberalisation of the legal services market in Scotland, subject to the necessary consumer protections being put in place. We believe that this will result in more consumer-friendly, high quality legal services in Scotland."

Consumer Focus Scotland did criticise the lack of promotion of fully independent regulation of legal services, as has occurred in England & Wales, stating : "While we note the regulatory objectives as proposed do not include two objectives included within the Legal Services Act in England and Wales – that of encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession and increasing public understanding of the citizen?s legal rights and duties – we believe the objectives proposed offer a suitable framework.In particular we welcome the objectives of promoting access to justice and protecting and promoting the interests of consumers. We believe these objectives should play a fundamental role in the future regulation of ABS."

You can read Consumer Focus Scotland's response to the Scottish Government's consultation on legal services reform here : Consumer Focus : Wider Choice & Better Protection (Legal Services Reform). In comparison, you can also download a copy of the Scottish Consumer Council's report on the poor & unchanging state of regulation in Scotland's legal profession here Scottish Consumer Council : Complaints Against Solicitors

A group representing users of legal services in Scotland however questioned Consumer Focus Scotland's approach to the question of regulating an expanded legal services market, citing calls from other national consumer organisations such as Which? for completely independent regulation of those in the legal services market as an example to follow.

A spokesman for the group said : "Just about anyone who has used a solicitor in Scotland will tell you that it is better to have non lawyers regulating lawyers than having lawyers themselves do it. Its not rocket science really. If lawyers were taken out of the regulatory equation then clients would feel a lot safer when having to deal with members of the legal profession or anyone who is allowed to work & operate in the legal services market."

He continued : “The fact is much stronger measures on regulation than are currently proposed will have to be taken if the public are going to be properly protected when their relationship with their solicitor goes wrong and I feel Consumer Focus and other high profile campaign groups must highlight this issue and stick with it.”

Which logoScottish campaigners for legal services reform pin their hopes on Which?, who are to be credited with adding considerable momentum to reform of legal services in Scotland. Today, a spokeswoman for the consumer organisation Which? commented on the Scottish Government's proposals for expanding legal services, saying : "Obviously we are pleased to see this legislation coming in, and hope that the consumer interest is squarely at the heart of it, with more choice and competition emerging as a result, and better access and affordability for consumers."

You can download a copy of the Which? “Super-Complaint” on restrictive practices in Scotland's legal services market here : Restrictions on Business Structures and Direct Access in the Scottish Legal Profession

Certainly as I reported late last week, there needs to be much more done in the Legal Services Bill to serve the public interest, and, as consumer groups demand, ensure that consumer protection and free choice is put first before the interests of a presently poorly regulated legal services industry which has become too used to having its own way at any cost.

It is a positive development that at least some in the Government also share that view. However, much work by way of campaigning and, when the time comes, submissions to Parliament, needs to be done on these proposals to ensure the individual has the unrestricted choice of legal services and access to justice which we as Scots certainly do not have currently.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

This must be important so I guess we should be paying attention to it.
Good luck with the campaign!

Anonymous said...

Kenny MacAskill and the Law Society must be rubbing their hands in glee with Consumer Focus Scotland and to a lesser extent Which magazine effectively saying ' we will take what we can get'.

When will these organisations actively and persistently lobby Parliament for reform, and demand that the self regulating Law Society of Scotland within a mile of any proposals?

Anonymous said...

It comes down to this - if the Law Society lose control of regulation they lose all their power and THAT is what they are fighting to retain.

Anonymous said...

cue complaints from the Law Society someone talked about their under the table deal to keep the pot for themselves !

Anonymous said...

money money ! all aboard for the lawyers money wagon !

Anonymous said...

Way ahead of you Peter
The Law Society have already met with a few msps trying to get their points across
You have a lot to do to overcome that mob believe me but good to see you in the fray too

Anonymous said...

I dont doubt that some dirty deals will be going on here by the lawyers to keep their hold over us so you better think again MacAskill before taking the fat brown envelope !

Anonymous said...

Dont pin your hopes on Holyrood folks.Plenty msps and civil serpents depend on favours to lawyers for cheap mortgages in return !

Anonymous said...

What I find amazing is that it is all so overt with the Law Society and what they want and get.

Why dont people just get up and ***************************the Law Society and all crooked lawyers

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 5:16pm

I agree.

If anyone from Consumer Focus Scotland are reading these comments I'd like to ask you what happened to your organisation (formerly Scottish Consumer Council) between 1999 and 2009 ?

The differences between both reports where you call for independent regulation in 1999 and then the soft soap attitude of 2009 are frightening to say the least.Considering Consumer Focus is publicly funded you should be more forthright in protecting consumers who pay your existence.

Anonymous said...

MacAskill's plans are about keeping a job open for him when he gets chucked out of politics AND THE SOONER THE BETTER THAT HAPPENS FOR US ALL !!!

Anonymous said...

I hope you know how to keep sources names secret Mr Cherbie because the current climate at St Andrew's House is if you anonymously talk to the media you get threatened or wind up in some back alley with a bag over your head + broken limbs courtesy the party nutters and those who rat out their colleagues for a few pennies of silver.

Anonymous said...

So lets see what we have here.
1.Law Society arguing it should control everything.
2.Scottish Government bending over and taking it right up the ass from lawyers who dont want anyone touching their precious profits.
3.Clients arguing they should have a decent chance against crooks liars scum and leeches.

I go with the clients !

Anonymous said...

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/J39accuse-Law-Society-acted-suspiciously.5629247.jp

Looks like you have discredited the Law Society so much even its own are beginning to question their actions !

Anonymous said...

Well spotted the change of heart in Consumer Focus who look like they have went out of focus a bit.

The Bill looks like just a window dressing exercise as Peter has reported it so far.If no further ideas come out of it I hope the damn thing fails when it gets voted on.

Anonymous said...

The Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission are fit for one thing. The protection of Scotland's ten thousand.

If politicians keep bending to the Law Society/SLCC these organizations are running the country as far as the legal profession are concerned. As long as these organizations are have any legal clout clients cannot obtain any justice against a member of the legal profession.

If Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Tesco had one top management team they would not be separate businesses, they would be holding companies. Competition would be non existent and prices would rise. Bad for the consumer so extending the legal services market with one management team in charge ie The Law Society, is maintaining this corrupt system.

If Scotland's lawyers were honest people, independent complaints handling and opening up the legal services market to competition would not intimidate them.

There is mediocrity in legal services provision because of self regulation, and the days for lawyers ripping of clients are numbered.

I am a main contractors Quantity Surveyor. I look after my employers interest and work with the client's Surveyor to prepare invoices or valuations, agree works done to date and agree the value of those works. Each party has a professional looking after their interests, to ensure the smooth running of the contract.

It is different with lawyers, because we are talking about individuals needing professional services, not companies. If we mess up on a construction contract, the client can take us to arbitration, adjudication or litigation, but the individual lawyers client cannot, because lawyers do not go against other lawyers, and their regulator The law Society of Scotland are crooks. Time and time again I see large companies in the construction industry getting lawyers to act properly for them, but members of the public have no rights against a crooked lawyer. It is for this reason that Scottish lawyers and their regulator are an insult to the clients they poorly represent. Big companies have money therefore power. Ordinary members of the public are like lambs to the slaughter, and nothing will change in this respect as long as the Law Society and it's politician supporters, control the provision of poor legal service in Scotland. Self regulation in any industry amounts to coverup, when there are reputations at stake, and this crooked policing means lawyers get paid whether they fight for their clients or not. Stop lawyers dealing with complaints, create harsh punishments, and quality legal services will become the rule not the exception.

Anonymous said...

So little change really and no surprise since the man proposing it (Kenny MacAskill) is a lawyer himself.

Anonymous said...

I think you have to simplify it a bit more for people and say something like "You can have any colour as long as its white and is supplied by us at prices we decide"

Keep highlighting abs and make sure clients actually understand what they will end up with!

Anonymous said...

The Scottish Government insider who said the following is in the real world. He or she branding the Law Society "too crooked to be trusted with regulating lawyers".

Self protection = self regulation. Talking about politicians, if it were not for Mr John Swinney's discussion with Mr Douglas Mill at the Justice 2 committee meeting, Mill would still be protecting his crooked colleagues because he is the same. This culture of protecting the profession cannot be changed by the Law Society. Lawyers must be removed from the complaints process altogether.

The lawyers have total power, and that is why legal service is poor because the lawyers who ruin clients never get ruined. They are given a slap on the wrist like John O'Donnell, and chaperoned by another crook from the Law Society. Justice for victims of crooked lawyers is impossible if even one lawyer is involved in receiving that complaint. The O'Donnell's, Hagarty's, Mill's of this world cannot change, the complaints handling must be taken from them at all costs.

Standards of service in many industries are benchmarked, and strategies are put in place to improve efficiency.

Lawyers like Douglas Mill have set the Law Society benchmark very low, and their idea of efficiency is efficient and effective cover ups. The Law Society is a cesspit of Douglas Mill's who protect lawyers like a caring mother protects her child. Men like Kenny MacAskill like things this way, because if Kenny ever goes back to the lawyer world, he will want to work with the same impunity his cooked colleagues enjoy. The solution is simple,

Open up the legal services market to competition.

Stop all lawyers regulating that competitive legal services industry.

The ball is at the foot of the politicians, and we consumers demand rights over a profession who are self protecting ruthless criminals, who give Scotland the name Banana Republic. Those devoid of rights are slaves, because all corridors to justice are closed to them. The MacAskill's of this world can live with this because they are not on the receiving end of lawyer corruption. So go Kenny, because you are no friend of the Scottish People, you are unfit for the post you currently hold.

Anonymous said...

If any reader wants to influence policy then they must email their MSPs - and continue to do so repeatedly - because as long as they do nothing no improvement regarding the Law Society's damaging and dangerous Monopoly will happen.

Anonymous said...

Looks like we have to rely on "Which" to do the work of the Scottish Consumer Council!
I will also join in your campaign to bring competition against lawyers in Scotland.

Anonymous said...

A friend is thinking of becoming a lawyer, but after reading this I think she may think twice. She is too decent to become one of these crooks.

Anonymous said...

This afternoon, a Scottish Government insider who does not share a sympathetic view to continued self regulation of solicitors,, spoke of the need to avoid giving the Law Society of Scotland any more power in the arena of regulating those practicing legal services in any expanded market, branding the Law Society "too crooked to be trusted with regulating lawyers". (CORRECT, THIS INFAMOUS HOUSE OF CORRUPTION HAVE TOO MUCH POWER NOW. THEY WANT TO MANAGE THOSE PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO MAINTAIN THEIR COVER UP STRATEGY).

He said : "Even though the Law Society are lobbying hard to retain their regulation of legal services and come out on top in the Legal Services Bill proposals, the few sane thinkers in the Scottish Government who have had anything to do with them know these people are simply too crooked to be allowed anywhere near regulating complaints against their own colleagues." (CORRECT, HERE ARE THE CHOICES, A LAWYER WILL BE RUINED FOR A CLIENT TO OBTAIN JUSTICE. WITH THE LAW SOCIETY SLCC THE LAWYER WILL ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP).

He continued : "The fact is the Justice Department has been swamped by letters from members of the public over the years who cannot get anywhere near a fair hearing when they take their complaints to the Law Society about 'crooked lawyers'. (CORRECT WE WENT EVERYWHERE, AND THIS COMPLAINTS SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN AND THE CLIENT HAS NO ONE TO HELP THEM. THE CULTURE OF THE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM IS ROTTEN, DRIVEN TO PROTECT SCOTLANDS 10,000 GRADUATE CROOKS). Inevitably we as the Scottish Executive get dragged into their problems after having exhausted all avenues they either write to us directly or ask their local politicians to do so and on each occasion we have to write back to them saying the same thing that there is nothing we can do."

"This has happened thousands of times in the past few years, (I AM NOT SURPRISED AT THIS, POSSIBLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES. LAWYERS ARE PROTECTED LIKE THE SS PROTECTED ADOLF HITLER. SELF REGULATION MEANS CRIMINALS ARE TREATED LIKE GOD'S). and if anyone is looking for an example of why the Law Society should not be allowed to regulate solicitors, they need only look at some of the cases brought to our attention, (SUICIDES) which include everything from fraud up to allegations of criminal activity by solicitors against the public. (CRIMINALS LIKE DOUGLAS MILL, WHO SHOULD BE BEHIND BARS FOR PERVERTING THE COURSE OF JUSTICE). Any sane person having to read through thousands of such letters would come to the same conclusion that the Law Society, having ignored such quantity of pleas from the public, cannot be trusted as a regulator in any shape or form." COMPLAINING TO THE LAW SOCIETY ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF YOUR LAWYER IS LIKE COMPLAINING TO A PAEDOPHILE ABOUT A PAEDOPHILE RING. THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.

PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE COMPLAINING TO LAWYERS ABOUT LAWYERS IS JUSTICE, DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE WORD JUSTICE. IF A LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF THE LAW SOCIETY LOSE THE VALUE OF THE LAWYERS PRACTISING CERTIFICATE IF HE CANNOT RENEW IT.

Anonymous said...

I can therefore attest to the lack of help that successive administrations (including the present) have been to members of the public who have failed to secure justice when trying to pursue complaints & court cases against crooked members of Scotland's legal profession.
-------------------------------------
Clearly Peter, many politicians are criminals just like the lawyers they stand by. At the present time Peter a client has no chance against a lawyer, and you and I know this as do many thousands of other Scots. We demand legal rights, not a closed shop for protecting our countries favoured few over the public.

Complain about a lawyer in Scotland and you enter a letter war that will go on for years because the Law Society SLCC will use

Stall tactics or use the passage of time to demoralise the client.

Instruct law firms never to help you, so without a lawyer you cannot get to court against your crooked lawyer.

Block access to any possibility of Legal Aid,

Imagine a company builds a house. The walls are not built correctly nothing level or plumb. There are serious problems with the drainage and electrical systems. Doors do not shut properly, partitions are built in the wrong places so the kitchen units do not fit. A lender provides finance so someone can buy it.

The purchaser goes to,

The builder.

Consumer organisations.

Chartered surveyors to check the property.

Structural engineers to check the property.

Everyone states there is nothing wrong with the property. This is a ridiculous example I know because the build would be condemned.

With lawyers this is happening all of the time because other lawyers do not want to recognise corruption in colleagues because they all share the same values. Ruining lives is part of the game, part of the workload, Mr Douglas Mill and Phillip Yelland take note, they do not care provided lawyers are not ruined.

Self regulation is a criminal setup and only those who benefit from it will support it. People of Scotland, lawyers can still ruin your life in 2009 and you will not be able to obtain justice against them. They are Scotland's unnacountable criminals who would rip your heart out if you were treating them the way they treat you.

The Law Society should be viewed like a terrorist organisation, outlawed because they can attack people like Mr Cummings, and the police scale down the investigation into the attack. WHO IS RUNNING SCOTLAND, WHO CONTROL'S THE POLICE. CAN THE LAW SOCIETY ORDER A CLIENT'S MURDER, THEN THE POLICE DELIBERATLEY FAIL TO INVESTIGATE THE MURDER TO SAVE THE LAW SOCIETY MASTERS? IS THIS REALISTIC OR BARKING MAD? YOU DECIDE?.

Anonymous said...

Record exposes lawyer who dishes out fivers to addicts for legal aid work
Exclusive by Derek Alexander

A LAWYER who bribes junkies to give him legal aid work is facing a fraud probe.

Legal Aid bosses began a probe after the Daily Record gathered evidence of greedy Robert Taylor's actions.

Taylor, 58, a solicitor for more than 30 years, dishes out £5 notes to heroin users who sign legal aid documents.

Each of the documents - known as advice and assistance forms - earns Taylor up to £80.

He also pays addicts to bring new clients to his Glasgow city centre office to sign more of the lucrative forms.

Taylor's shady practice is a serious breach of both Law Society of Scotland and Scottish Legal Aid Board codes of conduct.
-----------------------------------
Good morning Peter,

Where lawyers are concerned I am a cynic. Would I be correct in assuming the powers that be have done nothing about this fraud and that he is still in possession of a practicing certificate. If he does this nine times his practising certificate is paid, by the taxpayer. Who said crime does not pay.

Client legal aid fraud would be dealt with, to deter others but when it is a member of Scotland's infamously corrupt legal profession that is satisfactory. It is not a legal or justice system, it is a sham.

Anonymous said...

The solution is simple,

Open up the legal services market to competition.

Stop all lawyers regulating that competitive legal services industry.

This person is correct and we must never be discouraged with the vissicitudes of our campaign because these lawyer criminals are ruthless.

We want a fair justice system where client's are not denied human rights to keep the lawyers comfortable and wealthy.

Anonymous said...

People of Scotland you will never secure justice when trying to pursue complaints & court cases against crooked members of Scotland's legal profession, AS LONG AS SELF REGULATION REMAINS IN PLACE AND THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND HAVE A TENACIOUS GRIP ON THE PROVISION OF POOR LEGAL SERVICES.

POOR LEGAL SERVICE IS THE RESULT OF SELF REGULATION, MAKE LAWYERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRIMINAL ACTIONS, AND THEIR PROFITS WILL FALL, THAT IS WHAT THIS BATTLE IS ABOUT. THEY WANT TO SCREW THE PUBLIC BUT HIDE BEHIND THE LAW SOCIETY REGULATOR FACADE OF A DECENT COMPLAINTS SYSTEM. THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND ARE THE ROTTEN CAUSAL LINK FOR BARRING RUINED CLIENTS FROM JUSTICE TO PROTECT THE LAW FIRMS WHO CAUSED THE INJUSTICE IN THE FIRST PLACE. IF EVER A PROFESSION ARE GUILTY BEFORE BEING PROVED INNOCENT, LAWYERS ARE THAT PROFESSION. PLEASE TRUST NONE OF THEM. RUINING LIVES IS A SPORT FOR THEM.

Anonymous said...

Couldnt agree more.Make sure this bill gets a good airing to the public Mr Cherbi and make sure everyone gets to submit their experiences with this horrible set up of being forced to use lawyers managed by the Law Society.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting investigation Mr Cherbi and I think you are correct - the Law Society should not be allowed to regulate the market post abs (which if I remember correctly the Law Society initially opposed anyway)