Regulating solicitors - Scandals show reform is overdue

LAST November Taoiseach Bertie Ahern expressed his dissatisfaction with the legal profession’s self-regulation. The system does not work and a new one is necessary, he admitted to the Dáil.

He also pointed out that Justice Minister Brian Lenihan was examining the issue but that a conclusion had not been reached. He conceded that a better model than self-regulation had to be found.

After all the Law Society cannot easily represent its members as a trade union one moment and, later, if needs be, discipline them.