SLCC Budget 2009/2010 Laid Before Parliament
SLCC Budget 2009/2010 Laid Before ParliamentSCOTTISH LEGAL COMPLAINTS COMMISSION BUDGET LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT
08/04/2009
8 April 2009
NEWS RELEASE
Embargo until noon Wednesday 8 April 2009
SCOTTISH LEGAL COMPLAINTS COMMISSION BUDGET LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) budget for 2009/2010 has today (Wednesday 8 April) been laid before the Scottish Parliament.
Set up under the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007(the Act), the SLCC investigates complaints made by members of the public about services provided by legal practitioners in Scotland. The Commission opened for business on 1 October 2008 and although operating wholly independently of the legal profession, it is funded by legal practitioners in Scotland through the payment of an annual levy and charges imposed when a complaint is upheld. In accordance with the Act, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission consulted in January with each relevant professional organisation and its members on the SLCC's budget for the next financial year.
SLCC Chair Jane Irvine commented: "The Board of the SLCC carefully considered the representations made by the professional organisations and a number of amendments have been incorporated into the Commission's final budget.
"We are fully aware of the repercussions of the economic downturn and the impact it has had upon the legal profession. Consequently, the cost of SLCC recruitment has been reduced from £90,000 to £60,000 which now takes into account the probability of an increased number of high-calibre candidates being available.
"The Special Projects and Research budget has also been reduced from £50,000 to £30,000 which will still enable the Commission to take on two major projects during 2009/2010.
"Our recent experience has shown that members' monthly expenses are well below the draft budget figures and to reflect this, expenses have been reduced from £34,000 to £15,000 and the 2008/2009 carry over figure has been amended to £1.4million from £1.168 million which more accurately reflects what the end surplus is likely to be."
The original budget for the Commission's first year of operation was £3,493,823. Operating costs for the year 2009/2010 have been significantly reduced and this has resulted in a final budget of £2,112,149.
Jane Irvine continued: "Following the consultation, a new category has been introduced for Solicitors holding Practising Certificates outwith Scotland and this has been set at the same level as In-house Solicitors which at £91, is a 66.6% reduction on the full levy.
"The SLCC also wants to encourage resolution of complaints at an early stage and consequently the £200 charge for mediation has been removed as it could have been a disincentive.
"Currently, the economic downturn is impacting upon the legal profession and with this in mind, legal practitioners will benefit from the levy being reduced from *£409 to £275.
"However, one of the roles of the SLCC is to drive up standards and where a complaint is upheld, the complaint levy will be doubled with the minimum charge rising from **£250 to £500."
ENDS
Editors Notes:
*A 12-month annual levy charge for 2008/09 should have been £409 but the actual charge for the 9-months of operation was £307.
Proposed levy charges for 2009/10 are:
Solicitors with 3 plus years experience Annual Levy £275
Conveyancing and Executry Services Annual Levy £275
Advocates Annual Levy less 19% £223
Solicitors within first 3 years of practice Annual Levy less 50% £138
In-house and Outwith Scotland Solicitors Annual Levy less 66.6% £91
Assoc of Commercial Attorneys Annual Levy less 66.6% £91
**Complaints levies are charges made against legal practitioners when a complaint is upheld. The proposed complaints levies for 2009/10 are:
Mediation levy £0
No complaint upheld £0
Complaint accepted - First Settlement £500
Complaint accepted - Second and Further Settlements £700
Formal Determination - First £800
Formal Determination - Second £1,200
Formal Determination - Third and Further Determinations £2,000
Annual Levy 17 £ 275 £4,675
Advocates Annual Levy less 19% 463 £223 £103,133
Solicitors in 1st 3 years of practice
Annual Levy less 50% 986 £138 £135,575
Inhouse & Outwith Scotland Solicitors
Annual Levy less 66.6% 2,537 £91 £230,233
Assoc of Commercial Attorneys
Annual Levy less 66.6% 10 £91 £908
9,985 2,116,824
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