Legal profession criticised in Competition Authority report
Forty proposals have been made to make the legal profession more competitive.
In a highly-critical report, the Competition Authority has said the profession is full of unjustified and disproportionate restrictions on competition. It also confirms that there are restrictions on entering the legal profession.
The Competition Authority has called for the abolition of educational monopolies where people learn to be barristers and solicitors.
It calls for the removal of the rule requiring barristers to be sole traders and calls for the removal of the restrictions on partnerships between barristers and solicitors.
The report also calls on barristers to provide key information to clients in advance.
The legal profession is expected to put up a strong defence to keep the existing practices in place.
