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wholly unjustified complaints and trying to settle
others by explanation and conciliation, they would
refer the most serious for further investigation by
the Law Society and the Bar Council.
Also recommended was the creation of a joint
review body for the bar and solicitors, again with
lay membership, which would hear complainants
still dissatisfied after their cases had been investi
gated by the Bar Council, the Senate of the Four
Inns of Court and the Law Society.
But its proceedings would be in private and
although Justice
suggests
it should
issue an
annual report, it would not identify parties. One
of the main criticisms from members of the public
is, unlike doctors, that disciplinary proceedings
against lawyers are conducted in private.
In its report the Justice committee found that
in view of the increasing burden of work on
lawyers and the complexity of legislation,
the
number of complaints made to the Law Society
—between 4,000 and 5,000 a year—was not sur
prising.
The committee criticises the professions' un
willingness to investigate complaints that might
lead to a court case for negligence against the
solicitor. It should stop.
—
Daily Telegraph,
19th March 1970
SOLICITORS' COUNTY COURT FEES
TO RISE
58
P.C.
SOLICITORS are
to
receive a 58 per cent,
increase in fees for county work from March 9.
The increase was recommended by the Prices and
Incomes Board last November.
But a six per cent, reduction in conveyancing
fees for middle-priced houses that the Board also
recommended has still to be worked out and may
not come into force until the summer at the
earliest. The cuts are being doggedly resisted by
the profession.
In its two reports on solicitors' pay, the Board
recognised the profession's claim that county court
work was extremely uneconomic. Existing scales
were fixed in 1955.
Many firms have refused to take county court
work because
the scales were so
low. More
militant solicitors have threatened strike action
for increases. But the new scales will not satisfy
most solicitors.
100 p.c. demanded
Both the Law Society and the British Legal
Association had been demanding increases of
more than 100 per cent.
The effect of the new scales will be to increase
solicitors' income from county court work, exclu
ding divorce, from £6 million to £8,500,000 a year.
For collection of a £10 debt, a solicitor can charge
10s. under existing scales or 13s. if he serves the
summons himself. These fees will be raised to
£1 10s. and £2 respectively.
A spokesman for the Law Society said yesterday
they were not satisfied that the new fee scales
would produce " fair and appropriate remunera
tion."
Mr. Morris Williams, vice-chairman of
the
British Legal Association,
the more militant
organisation representing solicitors, described the
increases as " totally inadequate." The first P I B
report said solicitors needed 93 per cent, to break
even, he added.
New scale charges for conveyancing are still
being drawn up by the Lord Chancellor's Office.
They have then to be sent to the Law Society
and approved by a statutory committee. The
Board proposed that the six per cent, cut should
be in fees for properties sold for between £4,000
and £20>000, while fees for conveyancing of pro
perties under £2,000 should be increased.
SIX LAW MANAGERS WANTED
The Lord Chancellor, Lord Gardiner, is seek
ing £6,000-a-year " managers"
for England's
new-style judicial system. The people who fill the
posts—they are open to men and women—will
be called Circuit Administrators.
At first they will plan the changes in the legal
system recommended last September by the Royal
Cqmrnission on Assizes and Quarter Sessions.
After this they will ensure prompt hearings for
civil and criminal cases on their Circuits.
They will be based in London, Bristol, Bir
mingham, Cardiff, Leeds and Manchester.
The administrators will decide whether cases
should be tried by High Court judges or Circuit
judges.
Court experience
The posts are open to men and women from
45 to 55 years of age. They need not be legally
qualified, but if they are, they must be barristers
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