header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
24 September 2010 / Joe Bryant
Issue: 7434 / Categories: Features , Regulatory
printer mail-detail

A new order?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Joe Bryant counts the cost of improved legal regulation

The winds of change are blowing through the regulatory infrastructure that underpins the legal profession; a welcome breeze of independence is wafting along the shiny new corridors of power. But, while consumer groups are queuing up to welcome the reforms, others will know that improved regulation always comes at a cost. The issue here is: who picks up the tab?
The reforms enshrined in the Legal Services Act focus on the organisational change needed to move away from self-regulation towards a more independent structure.

  • The Legal Services Board (LSB) has been created to be the “oversight regulator” for the entire legal profession, ie barristers and legal executives, as well as solicitors. It is an entirely independent body, with a mandate to raise public awareness of the standards against which the profession is to be assessed.
  • The Office for Legal Complaints (and its henchman, the Legal Ombudsman), will be the body that will get its hands dirty at the coalface when the profession falls short of those
If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

From first-generation student to trailblazing president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, John McElroy of Fieldfisher reflects on resilience, identity and the power of bringing your whole self to the law

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

Planning and environment team expands with partner hire in Manchester

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Firm appoints chief operating officer to strengthen leadership team

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Push to scrap ‘vague’ public office misconduct law
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
NLJ this week: World Cup faces legal storm before kick-off
FIFA’s 2026 Men's World Cup is already mired in controversy, with complaints over ‘excessive prices’ and opaque ticketing. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys warns that governing bodies may face scrutiny under EU competition law, with allegations of a ‘dominant—if not monopolistic—position’ in ticket sales
NLJ this week: Trade mark practice splits widen post-Brexit
Ten years after Brexit, UK and EU trade mark regimes are drifting apart in practice if not principle. Writing in NLJ this week, Roger Lush and Lara Elder of Carpmaels & Ransford highlight tighter UK scrutiny after SkyKick, where overly broad filings may signal ‘bad faith’
NLJ this week: Sanctions ruling casts ‘wide net’ over global finance
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has underscored the sweeping reach of UK sanctions. In NLJ this week, Brónagh Adams and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper say the regime is a ‘blunt instrument’ requiring only a factual, not causal, link to restricted goods
NLJ this week: England’s courts cement status as fraud battleground
Fraud claims are surging, with England and Wales increasingly the forum of choice for global disputes. Writing in NLJ this week, Jon Felce of Cooke, Young & Keidan reports claims have risen sharply, with fraud now a major share of litigation and costing billions worldwide
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll