Official Report 169KB pdf
Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 (Compensation for Inadequate Professional Services) Order 2004<br />(SSI 2004/550)
Item 3 is subordinate legislation. The Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 (Compensation for Inadequate Professional Services) Order 2004 (SSI 2004/550) is subject to the negative procedure. I remind members that the previous Justice 1 Committee recommended that the maximum compensation level be increased to £5,000, with a mechanism for annual updating in line with inflation. We have a letter from the Minister for Justice in which she acknowledges that, if the order is approved, the Executive will implement that recommendation.
I very much support the order. I understand that the Law Society of Scotland is foursquare behind it. I have one brief comment for the record. I note that the most recent edition of Which? magazine states that the order has been implemented. That might strictly be true, given that it was laid on 22 December 2004. However, magazines and organisations should be careful about assuming Parliament's consent before the 40 days are up. It is useful to have that on the record in the Official Report.
Absolutely. Are members happy to note the order?
Members indicated agreement.
The committee agreed at a previous meeting to consider in private the draft report on the inquiry into the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes in prisons, and the draft report on the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill. I suspend the meeting to allow us to prepare for the private session.
Meeting suspended until 11:09 and thereafter continued in private until 12:38.
Previous
Interests