Liberalisation call

The RAC continued its campaign for the abolition of rules preventing employed solicitors to advise the public, during a heated conference debate on liberalising the profession.

Lara Oyesanya, divisional counsel for the RAC, reaffirmed her organisation's commitment to in-house practitioners' desire to offer services directly to the public.

'Employed solicitors aren't wondering when, but are asking how best to make it work.' said Ms Oyesanya.

Hilary Meredith, managing partner of Manchester-based Donns, said solicitors needed to reinvent themselves.

She said it was important for firms such as hers to be free to explore direct relations with other businesses - such as insurers - to create attractive personal injury products for the public.

Anthony Armitage, director of on-line legal services referral company Firstlaw and communications director of the Law Society's Commerce and Industry Group, said reform of services could be managed through existing regulations, using organisations such as his.

Alison Parkinson, head of legal at Railtrack, said aspects of professional practice such as hourly billing were outdated.

But Legal Action Practitioners Group director Richard Miller said his group had numerous concerns relating to confidentiality and conflicts of interest if rules were relaxed on non-professionals sharing fees with solicitors.

He said: 'There could be a serious conflict of interest between the solicitors' duty to clients and non-solicitor owners' bottom lines.'

Jeremy Fleming