Liverpool Law Mar 2017

Council Member’s Report
Council Member’s Report
The latest news from Charlie Jones, Council Member for Merseyside
I attended a Council meeting in
Chancery Lane on 8 February
2017. You will probably
appreciate that this Council
meeting was the first meeting
following the resignation of
Catherine Dixon. President
Robert Bourns gave Council a
full de-brief as to what had
occurred following Catherine’s
indication that she was
considering her position towards
the end of 2016. Discussions had
taken place but ultimately she
found it necessary to hand in her
resignation at the beginning of
2017. By this time she had
managed to find herself an
alternative position. Robert was
congratulated by Council for the
way in which he handled an
extremely difficult situation.
Council wished Catherine well in
her future career, and thanked
her for what she had done in her
short time with the Law Society
as Chief Executive, and resolved
to move on.
To that end, Paul Tennant has
been appointed as interim CEO.
Paul has had long term experience
as Chief Executive of Orbit
Housing Group, and for a time
was also Chair of the Housing
Representative Body. He therefore
has experience of being CEO of
not for profit organisations, and
there is confidence that he will be
able to assist us on an interim
basis, while the task of appointing
a permanent replacement CEO
continues. The purpose of the
appointment is intended to
support the Society deliver the
agreed business plan.
Stakeholders, including the LSP
and the SRA have been informed.
President Bourns is now putting in
hand the important task of seeking
a permanent replacement for
Catherine, and it is felt that it is
important that the governance
issue is resolved before anyone
takes the job on. This makes
eminent sense.
To that end, the issue of
governance continues at pace. It is
likely that even if governance is
not resolved by the time Robert’s
presidency finishes, he will see
that issue through to the end in
any event. There is much resolve
to properly address this issue. I
have said before that Rome was
not built in a day, however, and I
suspect even the Romans may
have been easier to deal with than
lawyers! Change for change sake is
not worth it and we must get it
right.
At the next Council meeting on 22
March, there will be a facilitated
governance discussion. In the
meantime, outside governance
facilitators, from The Good
Governance Institute, have been
appointed to explore what we
need, why we need it, and where
we are going. This issue is in
hand, and rest assured Council is
aware that you, the profession and
membership, want it dealt with
soon.
The night before the Council
meeting we had an interesting and
very useful presentation from
Sophia Adams Bhatti, Director of
Legal Regulatory Policy at the
Law Society. Sophia is
responsible for energising the
various groups that produce the
replies to consultation papers. As
you will note if you are involved
in Liverpool Law Society, there
are a lot of consultation papers
that affect our profession. We
have volunteers that do it at
Liverpool Law Society, some
under pressure, some willingly, but
whichever, it takes a lot of time.
Not all consultation papers are
responded to, because those
volunteers do not have sufficient
time. At Chancery Lane, it is
right and proper that all
consultation papers affecting our
profession should be responded to.
This takes a lot of work, often
unheard of and unseen and
unrecognised work. Sophia is
responsible for overseeing this.
You would be surprised at how
much is involved. The Law
Society groups that affect our
profession are endless, and I name
just a few here:-
Criminal, Housing, Law
Management, Civil Justice,
Family, Commercial, Company,
Commercial Property, Residential
Property etc etc. The list is long.
This all has to be looked into for
the benefit of our profession in the
little silos in which we work. If
you are interested in hearing and
learning more about these groups
and the work that Sophia does,
look on the TLS website, or
contact me. I am sure you would
be surprised at what is involved.
On 2 February 2017 I attended a
20 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk
Dinner at ANWLS in Leyland.
This was an interesting dinner at
which Joe Egan, DVP of the Law
Society, explained what had
happened with regard to Catherine
Dixon. It was clear, even a month
on, that there was still some
misinformation up and down the
country! Joe put matters right.
On 31 January 2017 I attended a
meeting of the Civil Justice Group
in London and also the Law
Society Gazette Editorial
Advisory Board. In so far as the
latter is concerned, I have received
some comments from members
about the content of the Gazette.
I would be interested to receive
further comments from anyone
else. Is this what you want?
What could be in it, but is not?
What should be excluded? Should
there be local articles in the
National Gazette? It is your
publication. Let me know. Also,
the cost of the paper edition is
enormous. In these days of IT,
can I encourage those who can to
stop taking the paper copy, and
only read it on-line. It is exactly
the same, but does save forests.
The Civil Justice Group are
obviously concerned in relation to
the proposed reforms to the small
claims limit and most particularly
the government’s apparent
intention to ban the concept of
whiplash compensation below
£10,000. Liverpool Law Society
presented a response to the
consultation paper, and The Law
Society did likewise: a very well
worked through document.
Attempts were made to focus on
the damage to access to justice. It
was also pointed out indirectly
that the Treasury will suffer, if
lawyers are not in employment.
Individual firms also provided
responses. In Liverpool, very well
done to Kirsty McKno, for all her
hard work and enthusiasm and
drive in this respect.
Cyber security is becoming a
considerable concern, and in that
respect I would refer you all to the
Law Society’s latest blog from
Mark Leiser, who looks at what
firms can learn from the scandal
of the Panama papers leak. The
weakest link in law firm cyber
security is ……….. Its people!
This area of concern should not
be underestimated. There has
been good Law Society coverage
in the media, not least the
interview of the President on BBC
Television News and BBC Radio
Birmingham about professional
standards in the Solicitor
profession following the finding
on Phil Shiner by the SDT.
Robert stressed the high
professional and ethical standards
that solicitors are held to and the
robust, effective and transparent
regulatory disciplinary procedures
required to deal with misconduct.
This point should not be forgotten
when one considers that there is a
continuing attempt to devalue the
work of solicitors, and therefore
devaluing our standards.
The government has also claimed
that there is no evidence that
Employment Tribunal fees are
limiting access to justice. The
Law Society challenges this.
President Bourns pointed out that
“The evidence in (the
governments) own report suggests
that tens of thousands of people
are slipping through the cracks”.
The Society will be responding to
the government’s consultation that
accompanies the government’s
long awaited review on the impact
of fees.
There are a lot of other things
going on too, but I cannot go on
for ever …… Thank goodness you
will say!!! Be that as it may, your
Law Society is working hard for
you and please, therefore, if you
get the opportunity, let me know
what you think about anything at
all that affects our Profession.
Charlie Jones. Weightmans LLP.
Co Council Member Merseyside
and District. 01512427919.
Charlie.jones @weightmans.com