Legal Services Board

The Legal Services Board is the new, independent body which is responsible for overseeing the regulation of lawyers in England and Wales in such a way as to put the interests of consumers at the heart of the system. It was created by the Legal Services Act 2007 and came into being on 1 January 2009. The Board is independent of Government and of the legal profession and oversees eight separate bodies, known as the Approved Regulators, which themselves regulate the circa 120,000 lawyers practising throughout the jurisdiction. Those eight bodies are:

• Solicitors Regulation Authority (independent regulatory body of the Law Society),
• Bar Standards Board (independent regulatory arm of the Bar Council),
• ILEX Professional Standards Board (independent regulatory arm of the Institute of Legal Executives),
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers (regulatory body for Licensed Conveyancers)
• Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
• Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
• Association of Law Costs Draftsmen
• Master of the Faculties (notaries)

The Board will also oversee the new organisation being established to handle consumer complaints about lawyers, the Office for Legal Complaints.

The Legal Services Board intends to deliver eight regulatory objectives:

• to protect and promote public interests
• to support the constitutional principle of the rule of law
• to improve access to justice
• to protect and promote the interests of consumers
• to promote competition in the provision of services in the legal sector
• to encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession
• to increase public understanding of citizens? legal rights and duties
• to promote and maintain adherence to the professional principles of independence and integrity; proper standards of work; the best interests of the client and the duty to the court; and the maintenance of client confidentiality.

Further information about the Board can be found on their web site at www.legalservicesboard.org.uk.