Members of the profession will have noted with considerable pleasure the current partial success of the campaign led by the Law Society's property section to persuade Revenue & Customs to improve the efficiency of its optical character recognition system and the administration of stamp duty land tax generally (see [2005] Gazette, 15 September, 4).

Congratulations to the property section for taking this much-needed initiative.


However, is it too much to hope for that those who are meant to lead our profession will take this as an example to be followed and adopt a far more militant stance in regard to other matters of concern to those of us who toil at the coalface, such as rates of pay for legal aid work and regulation? The only way to put effective pressure on the government is to adopt methods designed to enlist the support of the general public and to shame the government into action.


R C Male, Male & Wagland, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire