Neil Stevenson

Neil Stevenson, chief executive, said: “Learning from good practice in other sectors and jurisdictions shows the current system of legal services regulation and complaints can be improved for the benefit of consumers and lawyers alike.

“The SLCC has delivered significant improvements in complaint handling within the confines of the existing legislation. We know we could do so much more to deliver a complaints process that meets the public, the profession and Parliament’s expectations of an efficient and effective system for delivering consumer redress.

“An effective, agile complaints process not only benefits consumers bringing complaints, but also reduces stress and cost for lawyers who are the subject of complaints and who pay for the system. Greater prescription only increases cost and complexity and works against the benefits of administrative justice.

“The bill also brings a greater focus on prevention and continuous improvement to ensure that lessons from complaints help to improve legal services and reduce the chance of future consumer harm or detriment.

“We’ve been a strong voice on the need for reform for many years and we’ve worked with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to develop these proposals.

“The bill’s proposals represent a significant step forward. We now want to see them delivered and implemented to realise those benefits for both consumers and lawyers.”

In contrast, president of the Law Society of Scotland, Sheila Webster, said last month: “As it stands, the bill would introduce sweeping levels of ministerial intervention into the regulation of the legal profession. Not only would this make Scotland a less attractive jurisdiction in which to do business, such a move would damage the global reputation of our justice sector.

“It could result in clients choosing to go elsewhere or multinational firms moving to other parts of the UK. There’s also the risk that autocratic regimes in other parts of the world could use Scotland as an excuse to justify similar controls on lawyers in their own countries.”