Law Society spotlight: May‘s Council meeting

A minute’s silence was held for Philip Hamer, former Council member and treasurer, who has recently died. Tributes were paid to him and a book of condolence was opened for Council.

A new Council member, Brett Dixon in the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers seat was welcomed; and I. Stephanie Boyce congratulated on her election as incoming deputy vice-president.

Influencing for impact

Government attention continues to focus on the Brexit negotiations, and Council heard of the work the Law Society has been doing to scrutinise the statutory instruments relating to a ‘no deal’ Brexit and lobbying on the key issue of market access.

As a result of the focus on Brexit, wider policy development in government and engagement with key stakeholders has slowed. In response, we have adjusted our policy and engagement programme and made significant progress with our campaigns on legal tech, access to justice and diversity work. Our criminal justice campaign video has received more views than any previous campaign and we have been successful in influencing government on their review of legal aid.

Our policy commission on artificial intelligence is culminating in a high-profile event (see In Focus, p10). In addition to helping prepare the profession for the new SRA handbook, we are developing a comprehensive reply to the Mayson review of the shape of legal regulation, on which Council had a wide-ranging and useful debate. Council was also updated on the Society’s activity across a wide range of issues in civil and criminal justice.

Release under investigation

Since the introduction of the Police and Crime Act 2017, release under investigation without any time limit, oversight or centralised records is becoming a major issue. People are being left in limbo, undermining faith in the system and making supporting clients difficult for our members.

There are wider social implications for victims of crime dealing with the delays in justice and for defendants who are vulnerable. We are highlighting this problem and asking the Ministry of Justice to tackle it. This is now moving up the agenda thanks to our work in raising it with MPs and other stakeholders.

Disclosure of unused material

As revealed by high-profile cases such as that of Liam Allan, failures in disclosure, exacerbated by the increase in the volume of material from social media and other technology, are becoming a serious issue.

There is an ongoing review by the Attorney General’s Office. We have been closely involved in the development of a disclosure improvement plan.

Other criminal justice issues on which Council was updated included the Society’s criminal justice campaign.

Civil justice

Government is consulting on proposals for fixed recoverable costs following the Jackson Review, claiming they will be clearer, more transparent and appropriate. This will cover cases up to £25k and many others up to £100k. Changes could be introduced next year. We know this issue is important to our members and are responding to the consultation. Council policy is to accept the change for low-value and straightforward cases, but current proposals go way beyond this. We have concerns about the implications for access to justice.

International rule of law programme

We work to open up new markets for English and Welsh law, but you cannot have the business of law without rule of law, and so the Law Society has an International Rule of Law Programme. Council were updated.

The programme includes writing intervention letters to highlight arbitrary arrests/detentions, harassment and threats against lawyers and human rights defenders. Our members provide support pro bono to enable us to do this.

We also undertake capacity-building in key jurisdictions, often in partnership with others. A recent example includes a training project with 14 Kazakh judges for six months in the UK.  

Promoting the profession

July will see the next surge of advertising activity on the Law Society’s Solicitor Brand campaign, covering railway stations and roadside billboards. The advertising features real solicitors and real clients.

Career companion

Council heard about a major review of the Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter. This is timely in light of the IBA’s recent report on bullying and harassment in the profession and our significant programme of work on Women in Leadership in the Law. We have launched reports on women’s roundtables and men’s roundtables and an international report will follow, creating a snapshot of working life.

The power of gender equality to transform the business of law, our international symposium in June, will include the launch of a Women in Law pledge, which will be the foundation for the refreshed D&I charter. We will also publish our ‘how to’ guide to shift the dial in gender equality, other protected characteristics and social mobility. For symposium tickets, see tinyurl.com/y4vr98p9.

The revised charter is being piloted by 14 firms of varying sizes across the regions. It requires evidence gathering and action planning, and will have a modular approach. It is planned to learn from the pilot and launch later this year.

Working effectively

The Council Membership Committee is tasked with keeping the representative nature of the Council under review. Work continues and Council were updated on the breakdown of the profession; the committee is seeking to ensure that this is well represented within Council structure of geographical, practice-based, and characteristic / community seats.

The Society’s Annual General Meeting, open to all members, is on Thursday 4 July 2019 at 2.30pm at 113 Chancery Lane, following a Council meeting on 3 July (all day) and 4 July (morning only).