Legal services reform in Scotland

Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill has been introduced to Scottish Parliament which aims to improve the transparency and accountability of the legal sector -

Part 1 deals with the overarching regulatory framework. It has three Chapters which:

- set out what regulated legal services are to achieve and the standards that those providing services should follow,
- make rules for all regulators of legal services. It divides regulators into two categories and places different rules on each,
- set out how an organisation can become a regulator and its members can gain permission to provide legal services.

Part 2 sets out rules about how businesses that provide legal services should be regulated.

Part 3 is about complaints about legal services and how they are dealt with.

Part 4 makes a variety of other changes, including:

- changing ownership limits for a type of legal business,
- making it simpler for charities and third sector organisations to provide legal services,
- creating new offences in connection with people who pretend to be able to provide legal services.

More info -

https://www.gov.scot/news/legal-services-reform/
https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/regulation-of-legal-services-scotland-bill/overview