Green light for Society fundingThe Law Society received a boost last week when the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, accepted that a large part of the Society's work could still be financed out of practising certificate (PC) fees.Last week, Lord Irvine 'largely' accepted a report by his Legal Services Consultative Panel, which in turn accepted the Law Society's submission that spending should be extended beyond education, regulation and training.

It will also include practice support, the maintenance of standards, international work, aiding pro bono work and law reform.A statutory instrument authorising the Bar Council to raise fees for similar purposes recently passed through the House of Lords.Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said: 'We are really pleased that the panel has recognised the distinctive work of the Law Society.

Our submission to them outlined the range of work the Society does on behalf of the profession and we look forward to the adoption of that recommendation by the Lord Chancellor.'The question of whether the use of PC income should be limited to regulation, education and training, and preclude spending on trade union activities, first arose in 1999.

The effect of such a restriction on using PC fees could have rendered the Law Society in two.

Lord Irvine added a clause to what became the Access to Justice Act, reserving powers allowing him to specify how PC fees could be spent.

He gave the Law Society 18 months to put forward its case for how it thought the fees should be used.Although the government denied it, the move was thought to be a reaction to a Law Society campaign against civil legal aid reform.The amendment coincided with the Bar Council this year being granted permission to levy a PC charge for the first time.

Sue Allen