AN 11-MEMBER legal services regulatory authority will be established, of whom seven will be non-lawyers. It will be appointed by the Government and report to the Minister for Justice.
The authority will nominate a complaints committee, which will have a lay majority, to deal with grievances against solicitors and barristers.
The Government will appoint, on the nomination of the Minister, a legal services disciplinary tribunal.
The authority will draw up codes of practice for the provision of legal services, or approve existing codes of practice, subject to the consent of the Minister.
It will employ inspectors to examine how legal practices are run, with particular regard to keeping accounts.
It will prepare a report for the Minister on the provision of legal professional training by educational institutions other than the Law Society and King’s Inns.
It will prepare a report for the Minister on the merging of the solicitor and barrister professions.
It will also prepare a report for the Minister on the establishment of multidisciplinary partnerships between lawyers and non-lawyers.
Lawyers will be obliged to set out their costs in advance.
An office of legal costs adjudicator will be established to hear disputes which may arise.