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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I was not going to speak, but I find it very difficult not to say something. The noble Lord, Lord Whitty, does not like lawyers, the Bar or the Bar Council. He has no use for approved regulators—he thinks they are all no use. He wants to destroy the authority of self-regulation in our profession because he does not like it. You have only to listen to him. One way he thinks he will do it is by imposing fines. He wants a strong board. He has given no justification yet for imposing a fine because there is no board and nobody has given a direction. This approach is so destructive that the amendment has to be supported and, if necessary, we have to leave it that we are in total disagreement. Self-regulation is in the interests of consumers and has been for years. The ombudsman has given the Bar Council a clean bill of health. There is absolutely no need for the noble Lord’s suggestions and approach. I support the amendment. It would be quite wrong to try to improve the situation and qualify a power to impose any fine at all. There is no justification for it whatever.