Competition body joins criticism of Law Society ads

The Competition Authority has added its voice to criticism of the current advertising campaign by the Law Society, saying that it is in poor taste and contravenes the society's own rules on advertising.

Competition Authority chairman Bill Prasifka said that the advertising highlighted the "deep conflict of interest" embedded in the society's current role.

He called for the setting up of an independent legal services commission to take over the regulation of the profession.

The advertisements, which have already drawn criticism from Personal Injuries Assessment Board chairwoman Dorothea Dowling, depict a number of scenarios in cartoon format.

One depicts a man who has had an accident at work gaining personal injuries compensation through his solicitor.

Another shows a family's relief when they find out that a member killed in an accident had made a will through a solicitor.

Mr Prasifka accused the society of touting for business on behalf of its members and said that it could not at the same time act as a regulator in the interest of the public.

He said that the society's rules on advertising by solicitors banned the use of cartoons and mention of "calamitous events".

"If it's against the public interest for individual solicitors to use cartoons or mention calamitous events, such as getting run down, then it follows that the same analysis must apply to the profession as a whole."

However, Law Society director-general Ken Murphy rejected Mr Prasifka's criticism, saying that it came from "a protagonist with an old axe to grind".

He described the advertisements as perfectly proper and said that they did not conflict with regulations.

"Their purpose is simply to illustrate for the public the range of socially-valuable services that solicitors provide."

Mr Murphy said he was amazed that Mr Prasifka had approached The Irish Times to complain about the advertisements instead of contacting the Law Society directly.