Alan Campbell, managing partner of Dundas & Wilson, accuses those who oppose the Office of Fair Trading's recommendations for change of protecting vested interests in a closed shop (The Herald, August 6). He believes those who see the market for legal services as different in Scotland from England and Wales are "simply kidding themselves". The OFT does not agree, having noted "that the legal services market in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales. The OFT also considers that it is important to develop an appropriate Scottish solution to any perceived problems".
Mr Campbell notes that he and other representatives of big firms of solicitors are in total unanimity. In contrast, the Faculty of Advocates opposes the OFT proposals in so far as they would reduce the choice of legal advice available to consumers and would leave some consumers unlikely to be able to get access to justice at all. The faculty has a responsibility, as does the Law Society of Scotland, to consider the interests of justice as a whole. Mr Campbell states: "What we want is for lawyers to be able to share profits with non lawyers subject to suitable regulatory safeguards."
This is about much more than profits; this affects the delivery of good legal services to all in Scotland who need them, as well as reaching beyond Scotland in the commercial world. We in the faculty hope to be able to work with all concerned to modernise where necessary while keeping the administration of justice firmly at the forefront.
Valerie Stacey QC, Vice-Dean, Faculty of Advocates, Parliament House Edinburgh.
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