Thursday, 28 February 2019
The Law Society of Western Australia has welcomed the announcement today by the Attorney General, the Hon John Quigley MLA, that Western Australia will join the Legal Profession Uniform Law Scheme, providing another step towards a national legal market.
Law Society President Greg McIntyre SC said, “The Law Society has been in favour of Western Australia adopting the Legal Profession Uniform Law for many years. A single, uniform set of professional conduct rules providing inter-jurisdictional consistency can only benefit consumers of legal services, the legal profession and regulators, especially with national and international firms now being commonplace.”
The Attorney General has announced that legislation will be introduced to Parliament later this year to apply the Uniform Law in Western Australia, with WA to formally join the scheme on 1 July 2020. From that date the Legal Services Council, which oversees the implementation and operation of the Uniform Law, will be expanded to seven and include at least one member from Western Australia.
Mr McIntyre SC said, “The Law Society has always maintained that Western Australia should have guaranteed representation on the national Legal Services Council and that WA should continue to maintain a local regulatory body made up of representatives of the legal profession and independent of government. The Law Society understands that these requirements are pre-conditions of the Western Australian Government joining the Scheme and will be met under the Uniform Law.”
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For comment please contact:
Andrew MacNiven
Senior Media and Communications Coordinator
(08) 9324 8634
amacniven@lawsocietywa.asn.au
About us: The Law Society of Western Australia is the peak professional association for lawyers in the State. The Law Society is a not-for-profit association dedicated to the representation of its more than 4,000 members. The Law Society enhances the legal profession through its position as a respected leader and contributor on law reform, access to justice and the rule of law. The Law Society is widely acknowledged by the legal profession, government and the community as the voice of the legal profession in Western Australia.
