NCJ Number
80250
Date Published
1980
Length
53 pages
Annotation
The Legal Action Group's critique of the British report of the Royal Commission on Legal Services is presented.
Abstract
The Royal Commission on Legal Services was established to deal with the following areas, about which there has been mounting criticism in England: (1) lawyers' remuneration, (2) unmet legal needs, (3) lawyers' restrictive practices, and (4) professional standards and education. Overall, the commission's work was prompted by a general perception that not enough is known about how legal services in England are organized and whether they are efficient and economic. In dealing with all the main issues entrusted to it, the commission study is inadequate. The commission's research was insufficient, and much that was done was shoddy. Further, the report contains little or no discussion of the critical issues confronting legal services in England, such as why legal services are important, the Government's role in providing them, the meaning and implications of an 'independent' legal profession, the accountability of the legal profession to the public, and the consumer's role in determining the legal services offered. The underlying theme of the report, although not expressly acknowledged, is the desirability of bolstering the independence and strength of the legal professions and protecting them from outside pressures, including Government interference. Little concern is shown for consumer needs and access to legal services. This critique gives attention to the report's recommendations and the Legal Action Group's alternative proposals in the areas of general principles underlying legal services; the administration of legal services; private practice, law centers, and salaried lawyers; legal advice, assistance, and legal aid; lawyers' restrictive practices; legal education; and lay involvement in legal services. The Scottish Commission's Report dealing with legal services, which is generally favored by the Legal Action Group, is examined in the concluding chapter. Footnotes are included.