Legal regulators SLCC and Law Society launch complaints process video. IN A MOVE seen as an attempt to combat publicity about poor regulation of the legal profession and few if any prosecutions of dodgy lawyers ripping off their clients, the Law Society of Scotland and the ‘independent’ Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) have teamed up to produce a public video explaining the process for making a complaint about a solicitor in Scotland.
However, people who have actual experience of the solicitor complaints process as administer by the Law Society & SLCC have criticised the video as bearing little comparison with reality to how clients of rogue lawyers are treated after making a complaint.
The ‘help’ video, which begins with a claim that most people are happy with their solicitors and have no reason to question services provided, or demands for sky high legal fees without any real evidence of work, can be viewed on the SLCC’s website here: SLCC and Law Society of Scotland joint video on the complaints process or on the Vimeo hosting website directly here: Making a complaint about a solicitor
The video on how to complain about a rogue solicitor appears along with another video clip - Scottish Legal Complaints Commission - Mediation video, also produced by the SLCC which claims to document the process of mediation. However, some users of the mediation service have referred to their mediation experiences as less than satisfactory, and little more than a delaying tactic used by law firms who attempt to escape complaints investigations.
One client involved in a bitter five year struggle with the Law Society described the video as “an attempt to limit a person’s expectation of justice.” He went on to say the video “looks like it has been made by crooks to save crooks”.
The ‘how to’ complain video comes on the heels of revelations that solicitor Clive Franks, a senior partner of Edinburgh based Franks Macdam Brown and a key member of the Law Society of Scotland’s infamous Complaints Committee regime, committed suicide on November 10, 2014.
It has since been revealed in the media the Law Society of Scotland were investigating Clive Franks over fraud allegations relating to client funds. Mr Franks was involved in defending a controversial case involving a challenge to the will of building tycoon Alfred Stewart. It was revealed in the Sunday Mail newspaper Franks was a trustee of a will which was changed at the last minute to cut out members of the family of the deceased.
Law Society Complaints Committees – of which Franks was a key player, form a key role in protecting corrupt lawyers from complaints lodged by members of the public and it is likely the Complaints Committees were consulted in some way on the video productions.
Making a complaint about a solicitor - Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
Mediation - Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
Commenting on the video, Matthew Vickers, the current Chief Executive of the SLCC said: “Having dealt with legal complaints over the past six years, we appreciate that the current process is complex and can be a difficult one for clients to understand. I welcome this video – which we have made in partnership with the Law Society of Scotland – as a valuable tool to inform the public about how the legal complaints process works, and the stages within it.”
Carole Ford, convener of the Law Society of Scotland’s Regulatory Committee, welcomed the video: “The vast majority of people are very happy with the service they receive from their solicitor, but it’s important that those who are not satisfied know that they have somewhere to go, and that there are processes in place that can help resolve any issues. The Law Society has worked closely with the SLCC on this joint venture and I think we have successfully produced a valuable tool that could go a long way to helping the public understand the complaints process from start to finish.”
Susan McPhee, Citizens Advice Scotland’s Head of Policy and Communications added: “We welcome this video from the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Consumers in Scotland need clear routes to resolve issues they have with solicitors – and these routes need to be easily understood by consumers. This video provides a gateway for consumers to find out what they need to do, and what their solicitors are obliged to do if there is a disagreement. I hope it is used by consumers to ensure rights are respected and protected.”
MEDIA EXPOSE LAWYERS BEHAVING BADLY:
Legal insiders say the SLCC & Law Society decided to make the video clip in response to increasing media coverage of dodgy solicitors and the public’s reaction to constant legal rip offs and poor regulation which came into focus with the BBC’s Lawyers Behaving Badly programme - which featured reports on poor regulation of Scotland’s legal profession, along with a host of crooked lawyers still going about their business.
Alistair Cockburn, Chair, Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal. Of note in the programme was the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) Chairman’s attitude towards solicitors accused of dishonesty in their representation of clients legal affairs. During the programme, it became clear that dishonesty among lawyers in Scotland is treated less severely, compared to how English regulators treat dishonesty.
English QCs speaking on the programme were unequivocal that dishonesty is a striking off offence south of the border, while the appearance through the years in Scotland has been Scots lawyers are simply given a slap on the wrist, or a merit badge for dishonesty by their colleagues in the regulation game.
Sam Poling asks: The Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal hears all serious conduct cases against solicitors. Last year they struck off nine of them. But is this robust enough?
Alistair Cockburn Chairman, Scottish solicitors discipline tribunal replies: It is robust in the sense that it doesn’t just give convictions on the basis that somebody’s brought before us charged by the Law Society. We are mindful, particularly when reminded of the lay members, of a duty to the public.
One is always concerned when there is deception but you can have a situation where solicitors simply lose their place. They make false representations in order to improve their client’s position, not necessarily their own. And you would take that into account in deciding what the penalty was but there’s no suggestion that such conduct wasn’t deemed to be professional as conduct.
Sam Poling: So there are levels of dishonesty which sit comfortably with you, satisfactorily with you?
Alistair Cockburn: No it’s not a question of saying sitting comfortably with me. I’ve told you…
Sam Poling: OK that you would accept?
Alistair Cockburn: No I’d be concerned on any occasion that a solicitor was guilty of any form of dishonesty. One has to assess the extent to which anyone suffered in consequence of that dishonesty. You have to take into consideration the likelihood of re-offending and then take a decision. But you make it sound as if it’s commonplace. It isn’t. Normally dishonesty will result in striking-off.
English QC’s agree ‘dishonesty’ is a striking off offence no matter what. The SSDT Chairman’s comments on dishonesty astounded viewers, and compared starkly with the comments of the English QC’s who said dishonesty was undoubtedly a striking off offence.
Andrew Hopper QC: “I cant get my head round borrowing in this context. Somebody explain to me how you can borrow something without anyone knowing about it. That’s just taking.”
Andrew Boon Professor of Law, City University, London: “They actually say in the judgement they would have struck him off but the client hadn't complained.”
Andrew Hopper QC “We’re dealing with a case of dishonesty and that affects the reputation of the profession. I would have expected this to result in striking off.”
Andrew Boon, Professor of Law: “The critical thing is the risk factor. If somebody has been dishonest once the likelihood is that they are going to be dishonest again unless they’re stopped.”
As Sam Poling went on to report: “but he [O’Donnell] wasn't stopped. The tribunal simply restricted his license so that he had to work under the supervision of another solicitor.”
This article has been updated with new information, and comments from individuals currently involved in complaints investigations being conducted by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission & the Law Society of Scotland.
If you are making a complaint about a solicitor and feel you are being treated unfairly by the SLCC & Law Society of Scotland, please consider publicising your difficulties, to help protect your own interests and others. You can contact us at scottishlawreporters@gmail.com. Any material provided will be treated as confidential and will not be published without your consent.
71 comments:
The English Barristers and Legal Rules Experts were absolutely correct, except the dishonesty is with the Law Society of Scotland itself and the way that the do ax acutely the opposite of what the SSDT Chairman claims?
The SSDT is NOT an independent organisation. Far from it. It is there to shift the gaze of the Scottish Public away from the Law Society of Scotland, who of course are in complete control of the system and dictate to the SSDT exactly the decision they want?
Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that the SSDT DO NOT play any part whatsoever in ensuring that any of their judgements are adhered to?
In actual fact, it is none of their concern and it is the Law Society of Scotland who decide if their lawyer members have to comply with the SSDT's decisions or whether they are allowed to continue as usual on the fly, out of sight and out of mind of the Scottish Public?
This is why you never see any documented evidence about whether or not Scottish lawyers pay any attention whatsoever of what the SSDT have decided or indeed whether or not any fines or costs have been paid because it the Law Society of Scotland who take to do with enforcement NOT the SSDT?
The SSDT could not give a hoot and NEVER check up on the Law Society of Scotland to see if their Decisions are being listened to?
Under this system, orchestrated by the Law Society of Scotland to defeat the ends of justice, the Law Society of Scotland can ignore any SSDT decision and refuse to comply with it as they are the only enforcer of these decisions and the poor Scottish Public are none the wiser because they assume because it is printed as part of a decision that this is set in stone?
This is like an arch-villain policing the robbers?
When the Scottish Public are watching the front door of the prison opens up and the prisoner is led through in hand-cuffs and when the door closes behind them the Scottish Public turn on their heels assuming that justice has been served....little do they know however, that on the other side of the prison door is the Law Society of Scotland slouching against the wall twirling the keys to the hand-cuffs round their finger with a big smile on their face......'here you go. You are off Scot Free. All of that prison door malarkey was to fool the Scottish Public......you are free to continue your campaign of harassment against them until the next time and we will do this over and over again?
The reality is massively different and the Law Society of Scotland are protected by the Scottish State to allow this practice to be commonplace behind the Country's backs. The police should move in to examine all of the records of the Law Society of Scotland and their SSDT to identify just how often the Scottish Public are being hood-winked and cheated?
I see they roped in Citizens Advice Scotland to give their video flick some credibility.
Concerning to say the least as some Citizens Advice (maybe not all,I don't know) tell people to f* off if they have a problem with a lawyer.
I remember seeing the BBC's documentary online, before the Law Society of Scotland tried to wipe-it-off-the-face-of- the-Earth and remember the interview the professional Sam Poling had with the SSDT Chairman and came away with the impression that he was quite a sinister fellow and did not approve of Sam Poling sticking up for the Scottish People.
It would be really good for the BBC to do a follow up documentary called Lawyers Behaving Badly Too.
This is a fascinating last ditch desperate attempt at trying to convince us that they are not bedfellows and that they act according to the law.
Everyone in Scotland knows by now that the Law Society of Scotland is a criminal organisation, which is allowed to break the law with impunity and there is nothing that the police can do about it.
However, it is a plus point that the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal, otherwise commonly referred to the Edinburgh Lunch Club has finally been shut down. This is welcome news and not before time, as it is a sham organisation.
I notice that the SSDT's Website was removed from the Internet several months ago already, meaning that the public do not have any access to the historical record of their findings and their accountability such is their shame over the recorded record of their unlawful history.
and if anyone is stupid enough to follow the steps in the video they will get nowhere!
Not a reaction to the bbc more like a reaction to Diary of Injustice and the press.
Did you notice that Nicola Sturgeon seems to have passed her first test as Scottish First Minister?
Nicola has stood up to the Law Society of Scotland in selecting Michael Matheson as Scotland's new Justice Secretary. A non lawyer to boot?
The Law Society of Scotland had made threats that their own selection for Scottish Justice Secretary Roseanna Cunningham had to be made the new Justice Secretary for her fawning support of the Law Society of Scotland and the embattled Lord President?
It would seem that the lady has spoken and she will not be turning Scotland further to the Dark Side?
Well done Nicola, you have the full support and best wishes from all decent members of the public?
Propaganda junkies, they must be so out of touch or thick to think we trust the complaints system. They have an inbox and that is where your complaint stays forever.
Complaining to them gives them total control over the complaints process, and you will find it to be a dead end.
What a load of rubbish from the SLCC I have already been through their complaints mill and it is nothing like the video clip and my lawyer has been a lying shit at every meeting.The mediation clip is just as bad.What idiot behaves like this after finding out their lawyer has stolen their life savings and no way of getting it back and the Law Society promise the earth and deliver nothing.
Cant see the video helping anyone looks as the other person said - rubbish
I like your update!
Law Society complaints member kills himself the same week the Law Society launch a complaints video clip - couldnt make it up.
Suicide must be for big numbers not just a few pounds and probably more afraid of the lurid headlines than some Law Society slap on the back investigation.
Alfred Stewart character is very interesting.In the case it came out he was abusing children.Wonder what Mr Franks thought of that in between being a trustee of his estate and that challenge by the family over the will.
Franks client in the dodgy will story is Alfred Stewart - a member of the Jimmy Savile club.Given a gong by the queen but was actually a pedophile - he abused a child from the age of FOUR.
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2014/11/21/top-lawyer-killed-himself-following-probe-into-missing-money-fears/
Top lawyer killed himself following probe into missing money fears
A SENIOR lawyer killed himself after law chiefs launched an investigation into fears clients’ money was missing.
Clive Franks took his own life on Monday, November 10, at his home in Dalgety Bay, Fife.
Mr Franks was a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s complaints sub-committee.
But the 60-year-old was himself under investigation by the Law Society, the organisation confirmed yesterday.
Mr Franks had been involved in defending a high-profile case involving the will of a building tycoon, who it was confirmed during the case had sexually abused a young girl.
The Law Society of Scotland has refused to confirm whether their investigation related to Mr Franks’ handling of this matter.
Mr Franks, from Dalgetty Bay, Fife, was a partner in Edinburgh firm Franks Macadam Brown, based in offices in the city’s St Andrews Square.
As well as his high profile role in the Law Society, and running his own legal firm, he was also a member of Dalgety Bay Sailing Club.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed that he had taken his own life.
His body was found in the garage of his home after family members contacted police to say they had not been able to get in touch with him.
A spokeswoman for the Law Society of Scotland said: “We can confirm that Mr Franks was subject to an investigation by the Law Society.
“We can also confirm that Mr Franks was formerly a member of one of the Law Society’s complaints committees.”
The spokeswoman confirmed that a “judicial factor” was appointed in relation to the death on Friday.
Such an appointment is made when there is suspicion that client money is missing or the accounting records are so poor they cannot tell if client money is misssing.
The Law Society said clients of Mr Franks could contact the judicial factor at the firm with any queries they may have.
The spokeswoman added: “We were very saddened to hear about the death of Mr Franks and offer our sympathies to his friends and family during what must be a distressing time.”
Mr Franks was involved in the case of businessman Alfred Stewart, from Fife, who changed his £7m will days before his death in April 2008 to leave the cash to the charitable trust he founded.
Mr Stewart cut his daughters out of the will, sparking a bitter legal battle.
Mr Franks was both an executor of the Mr Stewart’s will and a trustee of his charity.
Until 2012, he was also a secretary of the Alfred Stewart Property Foundation, a limited company set up after Mr Stewart’s death.
Mr Franks was named as one of several defenders in the legal battle over Alfred Stewart’s will in a case at Edinburgh’s Court of Session which ended in April 2013.
During the case, evidence was accepted that Alfred Stewart had sexually abused a girl from the age of four until she was ten.
Mr Stewart, 71, planned to leave Leonie, 40, and Linden, 42, each more than £1million worth of property.
But he changed the will just 27 days before losing his battle with leukaemia.
Neither of Alfred’s sons Garry, 45, and Calum, 41, were named in the will.
The action was brought by Mr Stewart’s children, who claimed their father suffered from paranoia and was not in his right mind when he changed the will. However they lost the case.
The Alfred Stewart Charitable trust’s claim to his fortune was upheld.
Mr Frank’s family declined to comment.
More tripe from the lawyers so called regulator. The reality is they are not monitored, regulated call it what you want.
Lawyers have a carte blanche to engage in theft from clients, theft of legal aid because there is no complaints system.
Please do not expect fair treatment, that way you are less likley to be depressed, but of course it depends on how much you have lost or are going to lose. Lawyers are legalized robbers.
This article has been updated with new information, and comments from individuals currently involved in complaints investigations by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission & the Law Society of Scotland.
If you are making a complaint about a solicitor and feel you are being treated unfairly by the SLCC & Law Society of Scotland, please consider publicising your difficulties, to help protect your own interests and others. You can contact us at scottishlawreporters@gmail.com.
Any material provided will be treated as confidential and will not be published without your consent.
Ok, so who do you report to when your lawyer has defrauded you and you reported this to the SLCC, then they colluded with the Law Society to let your crooked lawyer off Scot-Free?
There is no point in reporting this to the Police because the Law Society of Scotland have told them to butt-out of their empire building scam and the police are sick to their back teeth preparing reports and submitting them to the Crown Office recommended that Scottish lawyers are sent to jail, only for the Law Society of Scotland to usurp the police and go over their head straight to the Crown Office to cut a deal with them to get their hundreds of Scottish lawyers off of being sent to jail?
What are you supposed to do?
@ 22 November 2014 16:47
Report it to the media and identify the solicitors concerned and anyone else involved in the case ...
Anonymous said...
Propaganda junkies, they must be so out of touch or thick to think we trust the complaints system. They have an inbox and that is where your complaint stays forever.
Complaining to them gives them total control over the complaints process, and you will find it to be a dead end.
21 November 2014 20:43
-----------------------------------
It's far worse than that. It is completely fraudulent because the SLCC is the Law Society of Scotland?
If you complain against your Scottish lawyer, then you are giving them the power to humiliate and hammer you to death or poverty or preferably both?
Watched the video, what a load of B******s. There will cover it up that is what they do.
Anonymous said...
What a load of rubbish from the SLCC I have already been through their complaints mill and it is nothing like the video clip and my lawyer has been a lying shit at every meeting.The mediation clip is just as bad.What idiot behaves like this after finding out their lawyer has stolen their life savings and no way of getting it back and the Law Society promise the earth and deliver nothing.
22 November 2014 11:50
???????????????????????
Could the Law Society of Scotland and their SLCC be reported to Trading Standards for lying like this?
Anonymous said...
Franks client in the dodgy will story is Alfred Stewart - a member of the Jimmy Savile club.Given a gong by the queen but was actually a pedophile - he abused a child from the age of FOUR.
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2014/11/21/top-lawyer-killed-himself-following-probe-into-missing-money-fears/
Top lawyer killed himself following probe into missing money fears
A SENIOR lawyer killed himself after law chiefs launched an investigation into fears clients’ money was missing.
Clive Franks took his own life on Monday, November 10, at his home in Dalgety Bay, Fife.
Mr Franks was a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s complaints sub-committee.
But the 60-year-old was himself under investigation by the Law Society, the organisation confirmed yesterday.
Mr Franks had been involved in defending a high-profile case involving the will of a building tycoon, who it was confirmed during the case had sexually abused a young girl.
The Law Society of Scotland has refused to confirm whether their investigation related to Mr Franks’ handling of this matter.
Mr Franks, from Dalgetty Bay, Fife, was a partner in Edinburgh firm Franks Macadam Brown, based in offices in the city’s St Andrews Square.
As well as his high profile role in the Law Society, and running his own legal firm, he was also a member of Dalgety Bay Sailing Club.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed that he had taken his own life.
His body was found in the garage of his home after family members contacted police to say they had not been able to get in touch with him.
A spokeswoman for the Law Society of Scotland said: “We can confirm that Mr Franks was subject to an investigation by the Law Society.
“We can also confirm that Mr Franks was formerly a member of one of the Law Society’s complaints committees.”
The spokeswoman confirmed that a “judicial factor” was appointed in relation to the death on Friday.
Such an appointment is made when there is suspicion that client money is missing or the accounting records are so poor they cannot tell if client money is misssing.
The Law Society said clients of Mr Franks could contact the judicial factor at the firm with any queries they may have.
The spokeswoman added: “We were very saddened to hear about the death of Mr Franks and offer our sympathies to his friends and family during what must be a distressing time.”
Mr Franks was involved in the case of businessman Alfred Stewart, from Fife, who changed his £7m will days before his death in April 2008 to leave the cash to the charitable trust he founded.
Mr Stewart cut his daughters out of the will, sparking a bitter legal battle.
Mr Franks was both an executor of the Mr Stewart’s will and a trustee of his charity.
Until 2012, he was also a secretary of the Alfred Stewart Property Foundation, a limited company set up after Mr Stewart’s death.
Mr Franks was named as one of several defenders in the legal battle over Alfred Stewart’s will in a case at Edinburgh’s Court of Session which ended in April 2013.
During the case, evidence was accepted that Alfred Stewart had sexually abused a girl from the age of four until she was ten.
Mr Stewart, 71, planned to leave Leonie, 40, and Linden, 42, each more than £1million worth of property.
But he changed the will just 27 days before losing his battle with leukaemia.
Neither of Alfred’s sons Garry, 45, and Calum, 41, were named in the will.
The action was brought by Mr Stewart’s children, who claimed their father suffered from paranoia and was not in his right mind when he changed the will. However they lost the case.
The Alfred Stewart Charitable trust’s claim to his fortune was upheld.
Mr Frank’s family declined to comment.
22 November 2014 16:33
--------------------------------------
This all sounds very fishy indeed.
Remember what happened a few years ago when Lesley Cumming resigned from Chief Accountant of the Law Society of Scotland suddenly?
He was attacked?
Maybe he too had said he was going to spill the beans on the corruption at the Law Society of Scotland?
The Law Society of Scotland brokered Fraud of the Scottish Legal Aid Fund.
It would be interesting if the police were to ask every single person who has been in receipt of Scottish Legal Aid in the past 10 years and ask them how many of them were contacted by the SLAB to find out if they could vouch for the number of meetings, the costs and expenses that they have run up and claimed for?
The answer would be zero of them have been contacted by the SLAB because this process would immediately disclose that fraud is rife, so they never ask these questions, hoping that they can wriggle out of the repercussions of their actions?
Just saying, 'the Law Society of Scotland told us not to scrutinise their member lawyers claims' will not wash.
PROPAGANDA CHEATS
Citizens Advice tell you to go to the Law Society if you have a complaint and you end up being abused again and ripped off.Better go to the media as Peter says and expose all these rotters!
You just had to mention the Lawyers Behaving Badly thing again and the best bit of the show - Cockburn on dishonesty.
Law Society angry at BBCScot for doing that interview.I heard those involved got a lot of stick from Law Society brass.Doubt there will be another one.
If you watch the video clip properly and speak to someone who knows about these things you will realise this has been produced to intimidate people into not complaining about their solicitor.
The clip has implication of consumer guilt written all over it.
Anyone with an ounce of sense should be asking themselves why a so called independent regulator the slcc gets into bed with the Law Society famed for protecting its own to produce a video about complaints.
Nuff said?
I believe the Law Society and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commissions actually believe the utter lies in this video. Yes you can
1) Speak to your solicitor.
2) Go to the client relations manager.
3) Contact Law Society and SLCC.
4) Go to mediation.
Try if you want but I promise you who have not tried it. Two words sum up these crooks with reapect to your lawyer.
Cover Up.
Trust me there is no complaints system.
If the Legal Establishment could change anything they would silence A Diary of Injustice, because DOI are telling the truth.
They believe people who complain after losing money and property, because of a corrupt lawyer are unreasonable. They screw client assets because they know they can get away with it by the protection racket called self regulation.
If you complain against your Scottish lawyer, then you are giving them the power to humiliate and hammer you to death or poverty or preferably both?
22 November 2014 17:01
===================================
Yes I have said this before on the DOI blog, complaining to them allows them to keep it in house and make your life legal hell where you are in a legal check mate. Blocked from the courts because a client to them is scum and their crooked lawyer a god. It is a faction of criminals with law degrees, not that they are worth much. There is a massive difference between written law, and the application of that written law.
Could the Law Society of Scotland and their SLCC be reported to Trading Standards for lying like this?
-----------------------------------
Trading standards would tremble in fear or be complicit in Law Society corruption. Here is how Cicero would look at the Law Society.
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero
If the Law Society of Scotland and the obviously dependent SLCC were in any confident about the propriety of their self regulation of the legal profession in Scotland they would not have been so zealous in reminding the BBC of its obligations under copyright whenever they discovered 'Lawyers Behaving Badly' on the internet.
That says it all.
Can anyone find expressions of sympathy from the Law Society of Scotland when clients of its members have been driven to suicide by the corruption at the centre of the Scottish justice system?
Who gives a toss about a crooked lawyer who committed suicide how many client victims and others has he and his kind caused to take their own lives
The English experts were absolutely incredulous at what is going on in the name of Justice in Scotland?
The bottom line is that the Law Society of Scotland are allowed to collude and control the SLCC and the SSDT to get their lawyer members off with as much as possible?
How can you have Scottish lawyers being let off with theft from their clients and referring to this as, 'Borrowing Without Consent?'
The unpalatable answer it is the Law Society's corrupt influence where they regularly collude to defeat the ends of justice to make the rules up as they go along to cheat the Scottish Public?
What the hell are the police doing about this blatant fraud?
Unfortunately, this confirms that as far as Police action is concerned Scottish lawyers are above the law and laugh in the face of the police?
There is one rule for Scottish citizens and a completely separate rule for Scottish lawyers, who have been let off with crime on the basis that their client was unaware of their Scottish lawyers theft or the criminal conduct of the Scottish lawyer was in favour of their client?
This shows the degree of overt criminality from the Law Society of Scotland who do not even care that the Scottish Public know about their out of control crime because the Crown Office have promised to cut a deal with the Law Society of Scotland to turn a blind eye to Scottish lawyer crime, whilst the police are forbidden from making the obvious arrests and stopping this white collar crime?
I heard that the Expert English Panel were far more critical and descriptive of the seriousness of these crimes and that these crimes organised by the Law Society of Scotland seem to have been committed with incredible arrogance and with no fear of the law?
However, the Law Society of Scotland slapped a 'D' Notice on the BBC and forced them to keep their criminal orgy a secret from the Scottish Public by scoring a thick red pen through 90% of the BBC transcript of their revelatory Public Service documentary, 'Lawyers Behaving Badly'?
Criminals in plain sight but immune from prosecution?
The Law Society of Scotland yes man, Matthew Vickers, Chief Executive of the SLCC let the cat out of the bag by revealing that this was the Law Society of Scotland's video?
You know it was the Law Society of Scotland's video because it is a pack of lies that they could never substantiate?
This video is a sick cynical video by an actor who has copied the accent and speaking style of the BBC's Award Winning Investigative Reporter Samantha Poling?
This is another attempt at the mind manipulation of the Scottish Public to fix it in the Scottish Public's mind that the BBC's Samantha Poling has changed her mind regarding her criminal exposé of the Law Society of Scotland's criminal grip and that she is now singing the praises of the Law Society of Scotland and their SLCC and SSDT?
The truth is that this is a desperate attempt to shore up the Law Society of Scotland's criminal industry and a last ditch effort to cheat the Scottish Public into believing that they abide by the law?
Nobody in their right mind in Scotland would ever think about using a Scottish lawyer because of the revelations about the Law Society of Scotland's criminal conduct?
It is now only a matter of time before the police are sent into make many arrests at the Law Society of Scotland. The writing is on the wall?
What the hell are the Law Society of Scotland doing persisting with Carole Ford?
Is she not damaged goods after the lies she told in the BBC documentary and it appears as though she is at it again?
It's amazing how low people will stoop and will repeat anything put in front of them to read out for cash?
More in the Daily Mail about Clive Franks suicide
Suicide lawyer probed over clients' missing money
A LEADING lawyer is believed to have committed suicide after being Investigated over fears that clients' money was missing.
By Victoria Allen
Cllve Franks, a partner at an Edinburgh law firm, was found dead in his garage in Dalgety Bay, Fife.
He had been under Investigation by the Law Society, which raised the alarm over his firm's accounts.
An Inspector suspected either that client money was missing or the accounting records were so poor that it was hard to tell whether cash had disappeared.
The Law Society probe was into Mr Franks alone and not his firm, Franks Macadam Brown.
The 60-year-old was facing the posslblllty of being banned from practising as a solicitor when his body was found in the garage of his home around 4.30pm on Monday, November 10.
Mr Franks last year defended a high profile case involving building tycoon Alfred Stewart, who cut his four children out of his £6.7mllllon will and left the bulk of the money to charity when he died In 2008.
In that case Mr Franks was described as Mr Stewart's personal solicitor and the executor of his will, which was upheld.
The sollicitor was also a trustee of the Alfred Stewart Trust, the charity established in the will, but it is unknown if this is related to the Law Society investigation.
A spokesman for the society said: "We were very saddened to hear about the death of Mr Franks and offer our sympathies to his friends and family during what must be a distressing time."
"We can confirm that Mr Franks was subject to an Investigation by the Law Society. A Judicial factor was appointed by the courts on Friday, November 14."
"The application to appoint a judlclal factor was made to the court to protect clients' interests after the Law Society raised concerns about the firm's accounting records."
A Judicial factor is appointed when it is believed client money may be missing or accounting records arc unclear. They are appointed by the Court of Session, on the request of the Law Society.
It is unclear whether Mr Franks knew a Judicial factor had been requested. If the factor was appointed permanently, Mr Franks could have been banned from practising at his firm.
The solicitor sat on a complaints committee of the Law Society himself.
It is understood police found his body after his family contacted them to say they had been unable to get in touch with him.
Franks Macadam Brown could not be reached for comment.
The Law Society of Scotland, the SLCC and the SSDT have zero credibility and are all widely synonymous for corruption and deceit. If you use a Scottish lawyer you will live to regret it. When your case almost inevitably fails, if you report this to the SLCC and have enough persistence to allow your case to go before the corrupt SSDT, then there is every chance that you will die prematurely over the breathtaking corruption that is employed by these crooks to protect their own crooks from the jail?
It is the same crooks who are trotted out to spill their vile lies to keep the truth from the Scottish People about their criminal careers?
The English Barristers were aghast at how prevalent and serious the Law Society of Scotland's criminality is?
A person who discovered their lawyer stole all their money is not going to be as calm as the people in the video.Will a lawyer who did it meet the client after ripping them off?I thought there was a procedure for all this instead of the inept comedy in the video clip.
Correct,Peter.This video is a complete waste of the legal profession's time and money.And I am sure you will point out the cost of this poor movie set is paid for by solicitors who will recover it from clients!We will.I can assure you!
@ 22 November 2014 18:50
Looks that way ... given the track record of the legal profession's self regulators it is difficult to imagine they engage in any activity which does not have a self interest ... much like the other parts of the Scottish legal system from the top down.
@ 24 November 2014 09:58
Obviously not a waste of someone's time and money.
The SLCC Law Society joint venture serves their own purpose of promoting self regulation ...
Lawyers Behaving Badly was originally scheduled as a BBC Panorama investigation.It was downgraded to a BBC Scotland investigation.
It should not take too much imagination to figure out lobbying from you know who secured the change.
24 November 2014 11:43
Better with it being aired than not ... the programme prompted reaction from the regulators and the profession ...
It is astonishing how many lies the Law Society of Scotland tell.
Anonymous said...
Could the Law Society of Scotland and their SLCC be reported to Trading Standards for lying like this?
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Trading standards would tremble in fear or be complicit in Law Society corruption. Here is how Cicero would look at the Law Society.
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero
22 November 2014 19:08
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This accurate representation of the Law Society of Scotland should be put on the front page of their website.
Anonymous said...
A person who discovered their lawyer stole all their money is not going to be as calm as the people in the video.Will a lawyer who did it meet the client after ripping them off?I thought there was a procedure for all this instead of the inept comedy in the video clip.
23 November 2014 18:36
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You have got to remember the starting position that the Law Society of Scotland and the SLCC have made up this video to reflect?
They both believe that when a Scottish lawyer steals your money you should act reasonably towards them because by hiring a Scottish lawyer you would have known that the likelihood is that they would steal your money, therefore it is not the Scottish lawyer's fault, it is the client's fault for having unreasonable expectations of their Scottish lawyer?
Anonymous said...
Correct,Peter.This video is a complete waste of the legal profession's time and money.And I am sure you will point out the cost of this poor movie set is paid for by solicitors who will recover it from clients!We will.I can assure you!
24 November 2014 09:58
999999999999999999999999
Fascinating insight into the mindset of the LawSociety of Scotland and their best friends the SLCC.
When I watched this video for the first time I immediately thought this was being presented by the BBC's Sam Poling from the voice and iteration of its delivery.
After watching it for a second time, I realised it was a copycat of Sam Poling, which they have obviously gone to great lengths to train someone to listen to Sam Poling's voice and the way she talks so that they can copy it to make it sound as though Sam Poling has come onto their side and therefore to diminish the 'Lawyers Behaving Badly' documentary in the minds of the Scottish Public.
How sneaky and insidious can you get?
Given what you have done for the public over the past 8 years and the thrashing of judges and lawyers it would be a good gesture if our supposedly new Scottish Government took you on as some kind of consumer advocate or in some project to clean up regulation of lawyers because at the moment there are no truly independent people around for those who fall victim to lawyers.Oh yes I see the comments from Citizens Advice but none of us really believe it and judging from another story you wrote on Hamilton Cab I dont think they have a leg to stand on.Time will tell although like most here I personally do not believe politicians have the power to or even want to reform the Law Society and the regulation of complaints.
One client involved in a bitter five year struggle with the Law Society described the video as “an attempt to limit a person’s expectation of justice.” He went on to say the video “looks like it has been made by crooks to save crooks”.
Yes my thoughts exactly!
Why bother calling it the 'independent' slcc when we are really dealing with the Law Society of Scotland.
Let's not forget that according to an earlier instance we are assured that lawyers do not 'steal' a client's money, no, they 'borrow it without consent'.
Odd that the same definition does not apply to the rest of us.
'Snuff Movie' might be a suitable alternative title given the appaling track record of the Law Society of Scotland and its mouthpiece the SLCC.
Anonymous said...
Let's not forget that according to an earlier instance we are assured that lawyers do not 'steal' a client's money, no, they 'borrow it without consent'.
Odd that the same definition does not apply to the rest of us.
24 November 2014 21:39
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Theft means Police, Courts then Prison.
But for Scottish lawyers it is a different story..
Theft for a Scottish lawyer means No Police, No Courts and a visit to the Law Society of Scotland's SLCC who send you to the Law Society of Scotland's SSDT. The SSDT then defeat the ends of justice by reclassifying this crime to a non criminal 'Borrowing Without Consent' in order that the crooked Scottish lawyer is let off Scot Free.
How can these crooks get away with altering the law so that Scottish lawyers are above the law. However is responsible for this crime 12211should be jailed for a very long time?
I just clicked on the main picture and discovered the entire SLCC is composed of lawyers or Law Society employees..
Not so much a joint effort more like a lawyers only club.
I salute your journalism!
Mr cherbi, you have definitely probed a weakness in your fantastic article?
This latest propaganda piece has all the hallmarks of partner-organisations that are united against the law and united against the Scottish Public and when you throw in that the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal have completely abandoned their compliance with the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 by shutting down their Website, as under the Act they have a duty in law to Publish all of their decisions for the scrutiny of the Scottish Public, then you have correctly identified that there is a joint-effort of these partner-organisations to continue to break the law, to continue to try to keep their corrupt practises a secret from the Scottish Public and to try to portray a version for the Scottish Public's consumption which is far and away removed from reality?
In short, your expert Public Service journalism has once again identified serious criminal conduct, with the Law Society of Scotland at the centre of it, where it seems that they can do as they like, regardless of how more and more corrupt they continue to act?
It would seem that the Scottish police have both hands handcuffed behind their backs, when it comes to arresting the perpetrators at the Law Society of Scotland?
Very very calculating and malevolent. The English experts from the BBC Documentary 'Lawyers Behaving Badly' must be shaking their heads in disbelief at the Law Society of Scotland and can only assume that whoever is in control of this organisation is an incompetent criminal who is definitely going down on a sinking ship?
On August the 23rd 1305, a Scottish Patriot called William Wallace was captured by the English and taken to the Tower of London, whereupon he met the King, who spoke to him in these terms, 'William Wallace ye of great strength, courage, fortitude and principle. I give you a choice of how to spend the rest of your life...you can choose to become a Scottish lawyer and live out your life as a deceitful dog who betrays the rest of his countrymen on a daily basis and takes their shilling under false pretences or you can be hanged, drawn and quartered and have your head impaled on the Gates of London?'
The great William Wallace's reply rings through the centuries until today when he said, 'Not much of a choice wee man, I could never ever be a traitor to my ain folk so get your rope, your axe and twenty of your strongest knights and take my body but you will never crush my spirit'?
Or something along these lines...or so the guy said down the pub.
You can tell from that line on dishonesty it is not looked upon with much disdain in Scotland so now we know Scots lawyers can be as dishonest as they like and get away with it.
The judges thing is more interesting than watching lawyers slap each other on the back!
Spent the better part of 8 months arguing with some investigator at the slcc about evidence and what the lawyer said and did not do.A total waste of time and they dismissed the complaint I am better giving it all to the papers as you say
The Law Society of Scotland and Scottish Legal Complaints Commission intrigue me because I am sure they are so disturbed they actually believe their membership treat clients honestly.
If you want my advice folks stay well clear. They are cover up experts.
Lawyers always behave badly!Any place I can see this banned bbc show?
Anonymous said...
I believe the Law Society and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commissions actually believe the utter lies in this video. Yes you can
1) Speak to your solicitor.
2) Go to the client relations manager.
3) Contact Law Society and SLCC.
4) Go to mediation.
Try if you want but I promise you who have not tried it. Two words sum up these crooks with reapect to your lawyer.
Cover Up.
Trust me there is no complaints system.
22 November 2014 18:51
£££££££££££££££££££££££
The Law Society of Scotland know exactly what they are doing. That is why they put their staff into the SLCC which now has 60% of its staff as former Law Society of Scotland staff members.
So that they could unlawfully influence these former staff members to look out for damaging complaints coming through the SLCC, so that they can be deliberately snuffed out, to prevent the Scottish Public finding out about the Law Society of Scotland's criminality.
Anonymous said...
Who gives a toss about a crooked lawyer who committed suicide how many client victims and others has he and his kind caused to take their own lives
23 November 2014 11:54
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Notice too the Law Society of Scotland's insidious mention of the dead businessman being a suspected paedophile to try to shift the Scottish Public's hatred towards him in an effort to try to justify the massive fraud committed by their member Mr Franks.
Anonymous said...
One client involved in a bitter five year struggle with the Law Society described the video as “an attempt to limit a person’s expectation of justice.” He went on to say the video “looks like it has been made by crooks to save crooks”.
Yes my thoughts exactly!
24 November 2014 14:54
;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;::(:-(
It is totally impossible to get Justice by reporting your crooked lawyer to the SLCC because the SLCC is the Law Society of Scotland who hate the Scottish Public and will do anything they can to cause them fear and alarm?
Anonymous said...
The Law Society of Scotland and Scottish Legal Complaints Commission intrigue me because I am sure they are so disturbed they actually believe their membership treat clients honestly.
If you want my advice folks stay well clear. They are cover up experts.
28 November 2014 00:07
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Not only do they know that Scottish lawyers have broken the law but they willfully break the law themselves to get them a get out of jail free card?
The Law Society of Scotland argue that it is not fair for their members to be sent to jail because they would be beside all of the people who are in jail who they have double-crossed?
Anonymous said...
Spent the better part of 8 months arguing with some investigator at the slcc about evidence and what the lawyer said and did not do.A total waste of time and they dismissed the complaint I am better giving it all to the papers as you say
27 November 2014 15:56
99999999999999999999
Name names.
Anonymous said...
Lawyers always behave badly!Any place I can see this banned bbc show?
28 November 2014 00:11
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The Law Society of Scotland spent hundreds of thousands of pounds sending out 'D' Notices to threaten court action against any outlet who continues to show this Public Service Documentary made by the State Broadcaster to reveal the amount of corruption perpetrated by the Law Society of Scotland?
Hard to search for slcc without finding your site anyway it takes a year for the slcc to throw out our complaint and only because one of the Law Society scumbags are on the same firm we complained about so completely agree with you this is a hopeless lawyer organisation not up to the job.
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