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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I am sorry that representation for Lincoln’s Inn is missing—because I declare an interest as a bencher at Gray’s Inn. A lot has been said about education, but it is much more important than that and I do not think that the general public understand. As I declared to Members of the Committee earlier in Committee, I started my career as a solicitor. For a long time I was in favour of a fused profession. Then I began to realise as a solicitor in a small country practice the value of the divided profession which gave the solicitor, however humble—I was pretty humble—access to the greatest legal expertise there could be through the system that we have. Having qualified as a barrister, I have realised the way in which the disciplines of the profession of barrister apply. Shakespeare said we should do as lawyers do: "““Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends””." Whereas the concept of dining is often completely misunderstood by the public, the social and educational life of the Inn brings people together to respect each other; to trust each other, which is a very important part of the way in which the legal profession works; and to meet in a way which I do not think applies in any other profession. Certainly, it did not for solicitors. From that fusion of social, educational and professional life comes the strongest ethic of serving the law, trusting each other and providing to the public and the consumer—I point in the direction of where the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, should be sitting—the best possible legal profession that there can be. I do not know why barristers do not appear in the definitions in the Legal Services Bill, because they are referred to in the Bill. Solicitors are defined, but barristers are not. The noble Baroness should accept this excellent amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland.