No regulatory change

Ministers have ruled out immediate further changes to regulation of the legal profession. A ministerial statement issued last week said options to reduce regulatory burdens would require primary legislation and therefore the government would not make any changes. The statement was responding to a call for evidence on legal services regulation last June. Justice minister Shailesh Vara said 71 responses were received but there was “no consensus”. The Legal Services Board controversially called for a single legal services regulator last year, provoking a sharp retort from the Bar Council.