Profession opposes move to increase numbers for SGM

The profession has voted against plans to raise the number of solicitors required to requisition special general meetings (SGM) of the Law Society and to end the right of members at general meetings to demand a postal vote.The results of the postal ballot also mean that the number of solicitors required to force a postal ballot following a general meeting will remain at 100, rather than be raised to 250.Almost 16,000 solicitors voted in the ballot, and supported the status quo by around 53% to 47% in each case.As a result, it will still require 100 solicitors to demand an SGM - as opposed to 250 as was suggested - while 20 members present at a general meeting (or 25% of those present, if this is less) will still be able to demand a postal ballot.Although the changes were approved at an SGM last month after an initial figure of 500 was reduced to 250, the result of the postal ballot overrides all earlier decisions.Neil Rose