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The big bang?: Bridget Prentice MP on the government’s legal services reforms

This episode of the Law Report focuses on the Government's legal services reform. This is an update level course.



The Legal Services Act gained Royal Assent in October 2007. It includes three major reforms of legal services regulation: a new Legal Services Board to oversee the regulation of the professions; a new and independent Office for Legal Complaints; and new rules to allow alternative business structures.

The appointment process for the Board has already started, although it will not be fully operational until 2009. Firms will be able to set up legal disciplinary practices, enabling different types of lawyers to work together, within the next twelve months or so. However, it will be about three years before alternative business structures can be set up.

The Compensation Act 2006 regulates claims management companies and covers activities from simply referring claims to representing clients. The regulations came into force in April 2007.

The information in this podcast represented the legal position when it was recorded on 22/11/2007

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Your Account
Aims and Outcomes

This podcast explores in detail the Government’s reform programme for legal services. It will be of interest to any lawyer wanting to know more about the strategic developments affecting the profession.

The interview lasts for 29 minutes. It will take you a further 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. You will need to get 50 per cent of the questions right to gain your CPD.

The interviewer for this podcast is Fraser Whitehead. The questions are set by Louise Restell.

Learning outcomes

After listening to the interview, you will understand:

  • The background to and intentions of the Legal Services Act
  • The key reforms in the Legal Services Act
  • The role of the new Legal Services Board and the frontline regulators
  • The role of the new Office for Legal Complaints
  • How the new regulatory structure will be funded
  • The difference between legal disciplinary practices and alternative business structures
  • The aims of alternative business structures
  • The role of the Compensation Act and other initiatives to prevent the development of a compensation culture
  • The issues with the miners’ compensation scheme
  • The Government’s view of legal expenses insurance and referral fees
  • How the government sees the future of the legal professions
Bridget Prentice MP
Bridget Prentice

Bridget Prentice is the MP for Lewisham East and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Justice responsible for legal services reform and the compensation system.

She was elected to Parliament in 1992 and was appointed as a Government Whip following the 1997 election. She has held verious posts since the, incluindg Parliamentay Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister for Trade, PPS to the Lord Chancellor and was member of the Home Affairs Seclect Committee. She was reappointed as a Government Whip in 2003 and became a minister in the then Department for Constitutional Affairs in 2005.

Her responsibilities are: reform of electoral administration, legal services, legal services complaints, commissioner/legal services ombudsman, asylum and immigration, devolution and regional policy and the Northern Ireland court service. Before entering Parliament she was a teacher.