Justice 2 Committee, 06 Dec 2005
Meeting date: Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Official Report
152KB pdf
Petitions
Legal Profession (Regulation) (PE763)
Agenda item 3 is consideration of two petitions, the first of which is PE763, from Julia Clarke, on behalf of the Consumers Association. As members will know, the petition calls on the Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to implement urgently the findings of the Justice 1 Committee's session 1 report on regulation of the legal profession.
Members will be aware that the Scottish Executive intends to legislate in the area and that the Law Society of Scotland has recently said that it is in favour of independent regulation of the legal profession. In the circumstances, it has been proposed that the petition should be closed, strictly on the understanding that the issues that have been raised will be addressed in the forthcoming legislation and that the petitioner will be able to make a submission at stage 1, which will be scrutinised by the Justice 2 Committee or whichever committee is designated as the lead committee.
Do members agree to what has been proposed or should another course of action be taken?
I agree to what has been proposed, but we should make it clear to the petitioner that we will ask them to submit evidence rather than simply that we recognise their right to submit evidence. We should be explicit.
I take your point. We can make that crystal clear when we write to the petitioner. Do members agree?
Members indicated agreement.
Police Complaints Commission (PE890)
The second petition is PE890, from Mr James A Mackie, which calls on the Scottish Parliament to support the creation in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill of an independent police complaints commission. The petition was lodged at the beginning of October.
As members are aware, the bill was introduced on 30 September. The committee interrogated people at stage 1 and, having heard all the evidence, is drawing up a report that will be put to the Parliament in due course. On that basis, it has been suggested that we should note the petition in the meantime and consider it in the context of the committee's stage 1 report on the bill. Do members agree to that approach?
Members indicated agreement.
That ends the meeting. I thank everyone for attending.
Meeting closed at 14:59.