Society chief puts reform on agenda at first council speech

The newly-appointed chief executive of the Law Society has given strong backing to the continuation of a dual regulatory and representative role for the solicitors' governing body.

In her first address to the Law Society's Council last week, Janet Paraskeva said: 'We need to take the Society forward in its dual role of representation and regulation - two sides of the same coin - because in order best to represent we must regulate and regulate effectively.'

Ms Paraskeva indicated that the Society still had some way to go before it had rectified the two key problems highlighted by Lord Stevenson in his report two years ago.

She identified those difficulties as a slow decision-making process, and a need to regain a 'moral legitimacy'.

Ms Paraskeva defined the latter as 'getting the Law Society to help the profession get back on the front foot and remind the public of all the good that lawyers do'.

The chief executive said that she would soon be presenting her proposals for a five-year plan of strategic priorities for the Society.

Alluding to the rapidly evolving legal landscape being driven by the government, Ms Paraskeva said both solicitors and the Law Society needed 'to recognise and respond to the main forces of change'.

Jonathan Ames