Law Society members have narrowly voted in favour of a proposal to raise the threshold for the calling of a special meeting. Chancery Lane revealed today that 5,272 votes were cast in the ballot. Of these, 2,644 voted in favour of the change while 2,411 voted against; 217 members declared their abstention.
The ballot followed a proposal moved at October’s annual general meeting to raise the number of signatures required to call a special meeting from the current 100 to the equivalent of 0.5% of the membership. The Society said the change would bring it more into line with comparable bodies and represent better value and use of resources for members. However at the AGM the motion was defeated by 72 votes to 67.
Although the proposal was withdrawn, a membership-wide ballot was called under the Society’s bye laws. Today’s result raises the possibility that reform will be on the agenda at next year’s AGM. The Society declined to comment.
Two SGMs of the Society have been called over the past 15 years; one on Chancery Lane’s approach to legal aid negotiations, the other on changes to the TA6 property information form.
