SRA responds to LSB market evaluation
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has welcomed a report by the Legal Service Board (LSB) as a sign that legal services are moving in the right direction, but that there is still more to do to improve competition and build trust in the sector.
The report shows that the legal services market is growing, becoming more competitive - although slowly - and is improving the quality of its services. Yet it also shows that there is still a way to go to increase trust in the profession and tackle the problem of unmet legal need.
Paul Philip, SRA Chief Executive, said: "This is an encouraging report, with substantial growth in the sector and service levels up. I am particularly pleased to see that firms are doing more to resolve complaints effectively, which can only help their clients.
"Yet it also shows there is still a long way to go, particularly to improve choice and deal with the problem of unmet legal need. We believe that our reforms will increase access to high quality, affordable legal services by getting rid of unnecessary bureaucracy and further promoting competition.
"The report also identifies that, disappointingly, under half of the public trust their solicitor to tell the truth. We are clear that Government proposals to make regulators independent will contribute to building that trust. Independent polling has already shown that seven out of ten people would trust solicitors more if they were independently regulated, and, of course, public confidence is crucial to the sector's success. "
The full report 'Evaluation: Changes in the legal services market 2006/07 - 2014/15' can be read here.
For more information on how the SRA is changing the way it regulates please visit our website.
