Law body receives 4000 complaints
A total of 4091 complaints alleging professional misconduct or inadequate advice by lawyers were lodged
with the Law Society of Scotland in 2006, it has been revealed.
In around a quarter of the cases, no further action was deemed necessary, the figures showed.
Asked why the society had failed to take action in about 25% of the cases, Philip Yelland, director of regulation, said: "The society's complaints committees, made up of
50/50 solicitors and non-
solicitors, carefully consider all the facts and then base their decisions on the evidence available.
"For a complaint to be upheld the complaint needs
to be proved on the balance
of probabilities to comply
with the legislation passed by parliament."
Independent watchdog the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman has in the past demanded the right to audit complaints which are not followed up, amid concern that some consumers do not get a fair hearing.
Last year's total number
of complaints was down
from a record high of 4849 in 2005.
The figure for 2006 represented the first drop
in the number of complaints against lawyers in many
years, as claims alleging endowment policy mis-selling by legal firms in the late 1980s and early 1990s continued to decline.
However, there are no figures on how many people complain to their lawyers before the society is asked to get involved.
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Posted by: Peter Cherbi, Edinburgh on 2:12pm Tue 13 Mar 07
The Law Society of Scotland's complaints system has been a joke for decades, where lawyer investigating lawyer has allowed negligence to flourish like fleas throughout the profession.
5000 complaints a year from clients for a few years doesn't leave many 'clean' lawyers from the less than 10,000 solicitors in Scotland ... and these are only the official figures - anyone who has had experience in dealing with the Client Relations Office & a little local knowledget of the firm / solicitor they are complaining against, will be in no doubt the real figures of complaints against poor conduct, negligence, embezzlement or worse, are much higher.
Phillip Yelland, Director of Client Relations states : "The society's complaints committees, made up of 50/50 solicitors and non- solicitors, carefully consider all the facts and then base their decisions on the evidence available.
The so-called 'lay membership' is nothing but a rubber stamp, often being bullied into whatever decision the Law Society wants on a complaint - and they certainly don't go into the controversial issues, incase they rock the boat.
Yelland goes on to claim : "For a complaint to be upheld the complaint needs to be proved on the balance of probabilities to comply with the legislation passed by parliament."
What a nonsense. Even when a Law Society 'investigating reporter' on a complaint actually recommends action, or even a prosecution before the SSDT of a rogue solicitor, Complaints Committees will often overrule such recomendations depending on the face before them - and even worse as in a complaint I made, initially decide on a prosecution, then change their decision on knowingly false evidence presented before them.
Independent regulation has been long overdue for Scotland's legal profession, and it can't come soon enough - as well as a review of the way the Law Society has prejudiced complaints against clients, some quite vindictively, for so many years.
The Law Society of Scotland's complaints system has been a joke for decades, where lawyer investigating lawyer has allowed negligence to flourish like fleas throughout the profession.
5000 complaints a year from clients for a few years doesn't leave many 'clean' lawyers from the less than 10,000 solicitors in Scotland ... and these are only the official figures - anyone who has had experience in dealing with the Client Relations Office & a little local knowledget of the firm / solicitor they are complaining against, will be in no doubt the real figures of complaints against poor conduct, negligence, embezzlement or worse, are much higher.
Phillip Yelland, Director of Client Relations states : "The society's complaints committees, made up of 50/50 solicitors and non- solicitors, carefully consider all the facts and then base their decisions on the evidence available.
The so-called 'lay membership' is nothing but a rubber stamp, often being bullied into whatever decision the Law Society wants on a complaint - and they certainly don't go into the controversial issues, incase they rock the boat.
Yelland goes on to claim : "For a complaint to be upheld the complaint needs to be proved on the balance of probabilities to comply with the legislation passed by parliament."
What a nonsense. Even when a Law Society 'investigating reporter' on a complaint actually recommends action, or even a prosecution before the SSDT of a rogue solicitor, Complaints Committees will often overrule such recomendations depending on the face before them - and even worse as in a complaint I made, initially decide on a prosecution, then change their decision on knowingly false evidence presented before them.
Independent regulation has been long overdue for Scotland's legal profession, and it can't come soon enough - as well as a review of the way the Law Society has prejudiced complaints against clients, some quite vindictively, for so many years.
Posted by: Tommy butler, scotland on 3:32pm Tue 13 Mar 07
Very good artical on the corruption of the law society of scotland.
its a complete waste of time putting a complaint into the law society of scotland they will do anything to cover and protected there members.
I challenge any scottish lawyer or the law society of prove me wrong.
I would rather be a white farmer in zimbabwe that be in a scottish court that it totally bent with its scottish judges corupt auditors of the court cant count to 5. The worst kind of corruption is when the state is run buy members of the law society and the legal aid board is a money train for most lawyers.
to the law society of scotland and the scottish court service. and the judges of scotland in the court of session.
you know who you are and why do you refuse me the right to a fair trial with a jury. you know you are corrupt and for being corrupt i are launching www.scotlandscourts.com www.thefacultyofadvocates.com
www.bentjudges.com www.thescottishparliament.com
Very good artical on the corruption of the law society of scotland.
its a complete waste of time putting a complaint into the law society of scotland they will do anything to cover and protected there members.
I challenge any scottish lawyer or the law society of prove me wrong.
I would rather be a white farmer in zimbabwe that be in a scottish court that it totally bent with its scottish judges corupt auditors of the court cant count to 5. The worst kind of corruption is when the state is run buy members of the law society and the legal aid board is a money train for most lawyers.
to the law society of scotland and the scottish court service. and the judges of scotland in the court of session.
you know who you are and why do you refuse me the right to a fair trial with a jury. you know you are corrupt and for being corrupt i are launching www.scotlandscourts.com www.thefacultyofadvocates.com
www.bentjudges.com www.thescottishparliament.com
Posted by: LJPR LEGAL JUDICIAL POLITICAL REFORMERS, west coast on 3:46pm Tue 13 Mar 07
We are sick and tired of the legal mobsters pontificating on the merits of Scots law.Scots law has been hijacked by legal and judicial monsters who have NEVER had any right to remove TRIAL BY JURY when any litigant requires it.
No matter what the legal twisters tell us they have ALL circumvented the rule of law which clearly states that a judge CANNOT and never will be an impartial tribunal.
They are hand picked STATE lackies for a corrupt system of law that has seen massive land,business and property being repossessed illegally and the assets of the victims ,find there way into the hands of the very legal lot implicated in the ILLEGAL bankrupting of the parties concerned.
NONE OF THIS COULD HAPPEN IF TRIAL BY JURY WAS AVAILABLE .However with on average 7 civil jury trials a year in Scotland the rest being decided illegally by JUDGES who seemingly have taken over the role that only juries can fulfil we are seeing the massive undermining of Scotlands people.
Until Scotland removes the rogues and vagabonds masquerading in their robes and regalia we will see the continued injustice that flows from those who dictate what our laws should be while at the same time fail to understand it is JURIES OF OUR PEERS that ultimately will decide whether laws that are being conjured about by the political and legal mafia are in fact in the best interests of Scottish citizens and especially our children
LJPR LEGAL JUDICIAL POLITICAL REFORMERS
We are sick and tired of the legal mobsters pontificating on the merits of Scots law.Scots law has been hijacked by legal and judicial monsters who have NEVER had any right to remove TRIAL BY JURY when any litigant requires it.
No matter what the legal twisters tell us they have ALL circumvented the rule of law which clearly states that a judge CANNOT and never will be an impartial tribunal.
They are hand picked STATE lackies for a corrupt system of law that has seen massive land,business and property being repossessed illegally and the assets of the victims ,find there way into the hands of the very legal lot implicated in the ILLEGAL bankrupting of the parties concerned.
NONE OF THIS COULD HAPPEN IF TRIAL BY JURY WAS AVAILABLE .However with on average 7 civil jury trials a year in Scotland the rest being decided illegally by JUDGES who seemingly have taken over the role that only juries can fulfil we are seeing the massive undermining of Scotlands people.
Until Scotland removes the rogues and vagabonds masquerading in their robes and regalia we will see the continued injustice that flows from those who dictate what our laws should be while at the same time fail to understand it is JURIES OF OUR PEERS that ultimately will decide whether laws that are being conjured about by the political and legal mafia are in fact in the best interests of Scottish citizens and especially our children
LJPR LEGAL JUDICIAL POLITICAL REFORMERS
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