Justice Secretary MacAskill’s failed project to bring legal business to Scotland now gets Law Society backing & more taxpayer funding. AS PROFITS continue to SLIDE at Scots law firms, amid the double dip recession and clients lack of money or willingness to become entangled in lengthy legal disputes not easily resolved in Scotland’s antiquated “Victorian” justice system, the Law Society of Scotland today announced backing for another taxpayer funded initiative by the Scottish Government aiming to promote the legal profession & Scotland as an international hub for legal process outsourcing operations, legal business & litigation.
The latest attempt to shore up Scotland’s increasingly isolated legal system, where civil disputes can drag on for decades and often cost both sides millions of pounds of unrecoverable fees, comes after an earlier project undertaken by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to attract foreign law firms & litigants to Scotland’s almost bizarre courts, fell flat on its face, in spite of a megaspend of public money on the now all but forgotten policy which failed to attract one single case to Scotland’s courts.
Sex for justice scandal and Scots law make unattractive headlines for those trying to encourage litigation to Scotland. The Law Society intends to promote the latest attempt to generate money for Scots law firms by holding an event promoting LPOs and other sectors of the Scottish legal services market in conjunction with the SDI, Scottish Government, and the Scottish Arbitration Centre at this year's International Bar Association Conference in Dublin in October.
Those interested in the Law Society’s latest try at bringing in business may also be interested to know the Scottish Arbitration Centre has featured in reports relating to a gay sex for justice favours scandal, dubbed the Magic Circle affair which brought down several Scottish judges, and has stained the reputation of judges & Scots courts to this day.
The Law Society of Scotland said in a Press Release it had been in discussions with Scottish Development International and Scottish law firms on the potential to attract and secure legal process outsourcing operations (LPOs) as part of the drive to position Scotland as an international centre for conducting legal business.
SDI, the Scottish Government international economic development agency, is encouraging legal process outsourcing providers to locate in Scotland citing the high quality of legal education and the capability to do more complex outsourcing work. Law firms and other companies which decide to open support service operations in Scotland would also be able to apply for funding and development grants.
Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: "Scottish solicitors are highly regarded internationally [haha, like our Bankers – Ed] and we have welcomed SDI's recognition of the importance of Scotland's legal sector to our economy and its plans to attract more legal work to Scotland from around the globe.
"The legal sector is a major employer in Scotland, providing around 20,000 jobs, including our 10,400 solicitor members, and contributing £1.2 billion to the Scottish economy and I would hope that encouraging organisations to outsource their legal process work here will boost that further.
"In addition to promoting our expertise to elsewhere in the UK and overseas, many of our larger law firms already outsource legal processing work to third party providers. This would give them increased choice and the opportunity to keep the work in Scotland in addition to generating job opportunities, both for qualified solicitors and for law graduates who aim to qualify as solicitors. The legal services market is currently undergoing huge change and it's important to make sure that our members can benefit from new opportunities and that we promote what Scotland has to offer to the legal and business communities both at home and further afield."
Commenting on the Law Society’s announcement today, a legal insider claimed legal process outsourcing operations may do much better south of the border or in the EU countries where the costs of litigation and legal operations are far less than in Scotland. He went onto accuse the Scots legal market of being internationally famed for its inefficiencies, poor regulation & being one of the most difficult in which to operate.
The figures quoted by Ms Jack in the Law Society’s press release over how much the legal profession “contribute to the Scottish economy” are also thought to be highly inaccurate, bearing little relation to current business in the Scots legal sector which have seen a number of firms forced to merge, even some who ‘employed’ Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond to travel abroad on their behalf and beg for business.
One Law Society critic questioned why the Law Society needs the use of public money to promote the legal profession if its membership are so wealthy. He said : “Why is MacAskill trying to give the legal profession a multi million pound leg over while the SNP cut public sector jobs in hospitals & other parts of the justice system?”
In response to queries, the Scottish Government have refused to give any figures of how much public money has been budgeted for the project, however legal sources indicated the costs may run into millions of pounds, at a time of public service cuts and extreme pressure on public spending in Scotland.
18 comments:
yea right only if you like dealing with pedos and old men in wigs who travel on duff passports to India/Thailand!
Hey Kenny hows LG getting on?Did any of this help career advancements?
Thanks for the warning although we already know to avoid Scots law firms & litigation in pumpkin land Edinburgh
Who in their right mind would want to outsource their legal affairs to a country like Scotland?
What happens when it goes back all f*cked up and has to be done again & again & again until its correct
Better version here than what's in the fawning newspapers today and Lorna - you dont half talk a load of pish sometimes - this is not about bring in business for law firms its about bringing in people the Law Society can screw under its thumb
Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: "Scottish solicitors are highly regarded internationally".
People from overseas, this is the most corrupt office in Scotland. It is unbelievable that Lorna Jack can come out with such statements, pure propaganda.
I am Scottish and I advise everyone never trust a Scottish Lawyer. MacAskill will pour millions of pounds into his profession but he does not stand for justice. He does not intervene when a client is being starved in to submission in Perth, on the orders of the Scottish Courts. This man is not fit to be an MSP, let alone a Justice Secretary.
The Law Society ruin Scottish Clients, do you think they will respect you any more? Treat the Law Society and it's band of lawyers as you would a rattlesnake, stay well clear. Scottish lawyers are reaping what they have sown over the last two hundred years.
The Law Society of Scotland and the Law Society of England and Wales shut down Solicitors from Hell. The Judge said "even if all of the posts were true, the web site ammounted to harassment of lawyers".
They do not want feedback from the British people on how lawyers treat UK citizens. They block out access to the courts to save lawyers reputations who should be banned for life.
STAY AWAY FROM SCOTTISH LAWYERS AT ALL COSTS.
“Why is MacAskill trying to give the legal profession a multi million pound leg over while the SNP cut public sector jobs in hospitals & other parts of the justice system?”
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Cash for his pals, chop, chop, chop but make sure the lawyers are wealthy Kenny.
Like the photo, would he suit a little moustache and a Swasteka armband?
I do not know why MacAskill's voters do not give him the chop. Are they unaware of what he stands for?
Lorna is captain of a sinking ship. When the waves of mistrust from the Scottish people hit her ankles she may be jolted into reality.
Who in their right mind trusts a Scottish lawyer these days?
10,400 Scottish Lawyers Lorna, not one would help the victim of a crooked lawyer. This means we have 10,399, reasons to avoid Scottish Lawyers.
THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. AGAINST YOU.
Hi Lorna, I would never write to your union about one of your membership. Oh no a totally pointless task.
I would put the law firms name on posters and it would be worded thus.
"Joe Bloggs Solicitors will rip you off". I think this public medicine would be much more productive than writing to people who would want to nail me to a cross. Oh and if someone asked have you reported your lawyer to the Law Society. I would say, yes they covered everything up, hence the posters.
We never get anywhere complaining to those in an office who all think the same way. Have a nice evening Lorna.
Anonymous said...
There is always a pattern in these cases. What about wills Lorna?
1) Client approaches law firm. He or she wants to make a will.
2) Lawyer creates a will for his or her client.
3) Client later finds out lawyer has siphoned off considerable funds from clients account. Client complains to Law Society or Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. They refuse to deal with lawyer because professional loyalty and corrupt insurance arrangements. Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal. They regard the lawyer who stole your assets as “borrowing without consent”.
4) The client tries to find alternative legal representation, but Law Society has contacted all lawyers telling them not to represent the ruined client. Royal Sun Alliance insure lawyer through the Law Society Master policy. This never pays out because Law Society deny client legal rights. Law Society order Scottish Legal Aid Board to refuse legal aid for client to sue lawyer who stole money.
5) Crown Office control Police. They are not allowed to investigate your corrupt lawyer. Compensation for client is impossible, lawyer never prosecuted and client’s money is gone forever. The thieving lawyer is left to continue working so when you go to make a will the lawyer may have stolen before and got away with it.
6) The Conclusion. Theft of client’s assets is legal in Scotland. They have designed a perfect system where it is impossible for a member of the public to obtain legal representation against a lawyer, and without the latter you are blocked from Scotland’s Courts, and they have collectively taken your money and left you ruined.
DO YOU STILL WANT TO TRUST A SCOTTISH LAWYER?
This is the sad reality for clients in Scotland Lorna. I neither expect you to agree or care whether you agree.
Never trust a member of the Law Society of Scotland. If you do, your life will get worse.
I cannot understand how lawyers are not alarmed about their collective reputations being ruined. Yes the recession has an effect but the damaging revelations about Law Society corruption is destroying public trust.
Do you people think you are so important you cannot be damaged? I would love to get into the minds of lawyers because I believe the majority think they are untouchable. I have witnessed this in the medical profession and it is a paradox indeed. The attitude is no doubt a consequence of the complacency created by self regulation. Madness.
Stuart Gair, Oscar Slater and more Mr Megrahi recently .
These are the kind of cases which give the Scottish legal profession its well deserved reputation for corrupt practise.
It would be interesting to learn how much of the £1.2 billion pounds ALLEGEDLY contributed to the economy by solicitors found its way into their pockets by way of legal aid fraud etc etc.
Mr MacAskill I think you are a disgrace of a Justice Minister. Your duty however unpalatable is to the people of Scotland, whome you owe a great debt to. You will pour millions of pounds into lawyers coffers while your government cut public spending elsewhere.
Your Law Society and Commission are a faction of professional criminals who have a monopoly not only of legal services. They have also monopolised complaints handling, so that no matter how vile the treatment a client receives the lawyer is protected.
As someone stated dealing with a lawyer "is like being raped and when the victim goes to the Police they rape her again and laugh at her".
A lawyer ruines a clients life, the client goes to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Law Society who ruin the client further and the client is left ruined. How you can consider yourself a justice minister is beyond me. Personally if I had my way I would come to Edinburgh and have you arrested and charged with protecting this criminals.
The Law Society and it's membership don't do justice. They are MacAskill's cronies and both will protect each other to the hilt.
We are at the stage through bitter experience that wh now realise what we are up against. Official complaints channels about lawyers are blocked by people only concerned to protect lawyers.
Mr Douglas Mill, I once went to numerous law firms to ask a lawyer to sue my crooked lawyer. I could feel their intense hatred towards me. I know the Law Society and MacAskill detest us too.
Blocking access to justice Douglas only means power will reinvent itself in other ways. The internet web sites against lawyers are a manifestation of this power. I told a lady in Larkhall about her will, and what could happen to her. Have a nice day, Douglas, and remember you faced your day of reckoning after the infamous Justise II Committe meeting Swinney incident.
The Law Society and Scottish Legal Complaints Commission will reap their nemeses too. People of Scotland, [and everywhere else] never trust a Scottish Lawyer, because when it all goes wrong there will be Douglas Mill to protect your lawyer.
The crime of ‘scandalising a court’ may soon be consigned to history.
The offence can be committed if someone does or publishes anything that ridicules the judiciary to such an extent that it is likely to bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
This can include being extremely offensive towards a member of the judiciary or suggesting they are corrupt.
Yesterday, the Law Commission - a panel of experts which advises the government - opened a consultation asking whether the offence, a form of contempt of court, is still necessary.
The offence has not been successfully prosecuted in England and Wales since 1931 and doubts have been raised about whether it should continue to exist.
Legal experts suspect the law may not be compatible with the right to free speech, which is guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and Labour’s Human Rights Act.
In addition, most of the activities covered by the offence could be dealt with in other ways - for example by using the law of libel or, if the activity was particularly serious, bringing criminal charges for other offences, the commission said.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2186350/Historic-law-scorning-judges-faces-axe-experts-question-needed.html#ixzz239nZceh6
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MacAskill cannot keep looking after the Scottish judiciary, and holding the Scottish public in contempt.
Some people have also questioned why the judiciary should be offered special protection, the Law Commission said.
The aim of the consultation is to ask whether the law is necessary in modern society in England and Wales.
The commission’s provisional view is that it should be abolished.
Ministers will not be bound by the findings of the consultation.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2186350/Historic-law-scorning-judges-faces-axe-experts-question-needed.html#ixzz239nS0w8h
“Why is MacAskill trying to give the legal profession a multi million pound leg over while the SNP cut public sector jobs in hospitals & other parts of the justice system?”
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He is just like the court who ruled Kippen Campbell could go after Mr Gordon of Perth's. Their agent the AIB froze Mr Gordon's disability benefit.
MacAskill is just doing the same, looking after his colleagues. They are a brotherhood who believe they can do what they want, and have the right to do so. But the tide is turning against them after hundreds of years of tyranny. Get MacAskill out. Shut the hospitals MacAskill, target the ill, to save your colleagues you adore so much.
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