If anyone needed confirmation that Law Society governance is due an overhaul, you only have to look to the results of this year’s council elections.
Sixteen seats were up for grabs. Of these, 12 were not contested at all, leaving just four to be fought over in elections. In four cases, no candidate could be found to even stand for election.
There is much talk of democratic deficit. Sadly, nobody seems too bothered about it, which is why it is time for a radical rethink if the Society is going to have any hope of retaining its present role as defender of the faith and the true representative of the profession.
For me, we need to start at the top and reignite interest in the Society by opening up the presidency to a ballot of the entire profession.
That would liven things up a bit.
Christopher Digby-Bell, London W1
