Govanlc back online

Apologies to all of our online visitors for being unable to access the Govan Law Centre website this week. All of our files had to be transferred to a new cpanel server which resulted in the site being inaccessible for a few days. This process has now been completed and we now have a much faster and reliable service.

GLC solicitor joins FSA Consumer Panel

GLC's Mike Dailly has been named as one of four new appointments to the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) independent Financial Services Consumer Panel (FSCP).

Mike, who has 15 years experience as a practising civil court solicitor in Scotland, protecting consumers' rights and tackling social disadvantage, will assist the panel in its continuing role of advising the FSA on the interests and concerns of consumers.

Of the other appointments, Kay Blair has been a member of the FSCP since 2006, and has been confirmed in her appointment as vice chairman, taking over from Adam Phillips who was made chairman earlier this year.

Bill Martin is an experienced macroeconomist and was chief economist at the fund management arm of the Swiss bank UBS.

Claire Whyley is a professional researcher, policy analyst, and consumer champion. She was head of consumer futures at the National Consumer Council until the end of 2008.

FSA chairman, Adair Turner said: "The Consumer Panel has an extremely valuable role to play in ensuring the FSA takes the consumer interest into account in its work.

"We are very pleased that, as these latest appointments demonstrate, the panel can call on an extensive range of expertise."

Full details here; Financial Services Consumer Panel website.

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Scottish 'Tesco law' Bill published

The Scottish Government has published its Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, which aims to pave the way for supermarkets, banks and large corporate interests to own and operate Scottish legal firms.

The selling point of this law reform is to create more consumer choice for legal services in Scotland, however, it is equally possible that opening up ownership of previously independent Scottish legal firms, will do exactly the opposite and ultimately restrict choice and legal independence in the longer term.

GLC's Principal Solicitor said: "Access to justice is a constitutional right, not a tin of beans to be bought and sold".

"This Bill promises a future of Scottish 'Tesco law' where multinational supermarkets and banks can own, control and trade shares in solicitors, advocates and the gateways to justice".

"It's a scary thought. Particularly, as the predatory and anti-competitive nature of some multinationals is likely to result in small and medium sized Scottish legal firms being artificially undercut and forced out of business in mainstream areas of legal practice."

"The most curious aspect of the rush to embrace 'Tesco law' in Scotland is the startling fact that neither the OFT nor Which? provided an empirical Scottish case which showed the legal market in Scotland was failing consumers in terms of choice and competitiveness".

Further discussion of this story is on the Scottish Television site, and at Mike's The Firm online blog.

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