AGM confirms practising certificate fee rise

Scottish solicitors will pay an extra £15 for their practising certificate for the year from 1 November 2018, the Law Society of Scotland's annual general meeting confirmed last night.

Members voted by a majority – including votes previously registered electronically, under a change to the Society's constitution – to adopt the proposed fee of £565, up from £550, put forward by the Law Society’s Council.

The increase follows eight years at the £550 rate and was put forward to prevent the Society operating at a deficit.

Alison Atack, who was formally installed as the Society’s new President at today's meeting of its Council, commented: “While we have successfully held the cost of practising as a solicitor at the same level for the past eight years, the Council proposed a modest increase to ensure we can continue to provide support and services for our members and meet our regulatory requirements.

“The increase is in line with inflation and means the cost of a practising certificate is still 20% less in real terms when compared with 10 years ago.

“There have been some encouraging signs of growth within the legal sector but we realise that a number of organisations and firms, particularly those which carry out legal aid work, still face economic challenges and have to manage tight budgets.

“We will continue our drive to increase efficiency, to innovate and be enterprising in our approach to make sure we can add value. In addition, we aim to boost revenue through new and improved services, partnerships or suitable investment to ensure that we have a sustainable funding model that is less reliant on membership fees.”

The meeting also heard reports from the outgoing President, Graham Matthews, and chief executive Lorna Jack, as to the work of the Society and its office bearers over the year, including progress on its five year strategy and work in relation to the independent reviews of legal aid and the regulation of the legal profession.

It then heard a plea from solicitor Michael Sheridan, representing the Scottish Law Agents Society, for a reconsideration of the Society's support for alternative business structures (ABS) – in which his claims as to the motives for the Society having supported ABS were challenged – and for the reintroduction of proxy voting as opposed to electronic voting by members unable to be present at meetings, as to which there was some support for a fresh look.