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19 Torrens St Braddon
ACT 1612 || GPO Box 1989
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone +61 2 6246 3788
Facsimilie +61 2 6248 0639
MR3309
6 November 2009
Structure a National Legal Profession
that Benefits Lawyers and Consumers
Any new, uniform system regulating the practise of law in Australia must
be structured so that preserves the independence of the legal profession
and benefits consumers of legal services, the Law Council said today.
In its response to the Government’s Legal Profession Taskforce’s
Regulatory Framework paper, the Law Council outlined a number of
requirements that it believes the new system must satisfy.
Law Council President John Corcoran said, “One requirement that stands
above all others is the independence of the legal profession, which is of
critical importance to Australia’s system of justice.”
“A vital part of having an independent legal profession is that its members
set the standards of professional conduct, and also play a part in the
regulation of the profession. The new system must accept these
fundamental propositions.”
Mr Corcoran said a new regulatory framework must also cater to the
needs of consumers. “Uniform and simplified laws are needed to ease the
compliance burden on lawyers and reduce costs and complexity. This will
result in a more efficient and affordable legal system for all Australians.”
“We support
the idea of a National Legal Services Board,
on which the
Law Council
is represented,
to oversee the operation of the national
framework,” he said.
The Law Council also supports the notion of a National Legal Services
Ombudsman to administer and oversee a national complaints-handling
framework, provided that it leads to a reduction in the cost of managing
complaints and allows consumer disputes to be resolved efficiently.
“Our
legal profession is currently the most over-regulated profession in
the country. Moving to a truly national, uniform regulatory framework is in
the best interests of lawyers and consumers alike,”
Mr Corcoran
concluded.
Media Contact:
Elenore Eriksson, Director Public Affairs
P. 02 6246 3716 || M. 0419 269 855
The Law Council of Australia exists to represent the legal profession
at the national level, to speak on behalf of its constituent bodies on
national issues, and to promote the administration of justice, access
to justice and general improvement of the law.
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