Lord Ericht and SLCC independent advisory panel chair, Ann McKechin

The 2025 Act will underpin the regulation of legal services in Scotland. Under the Act, the lord president has been given new powers in his role as the ultimate regulator of the legal profession in Scotland.

The visit allowed Lord Ericht to speak to the chair, board and also the staff of the SLCC about their work and how it can work collaboratively with other regulatory authorities, where appropriate, to ensure that the improved and modernised regulatory system under the Act can be as effective as possible for the consumers of legal services and the legal professionals who are subject to regulation.

Lord Ericht, who has considerable experience of regulatory, competition and consumer issues, also met with the new chair of the SLCC Consumer Panel and some of its members.

Lord Ericht said: “On behalf of the lord president, it was a pleasure to visit the SLCC in my role as regulatory judge, meet the independent advisory panel and speak to its members about the important work they will do in relation to regulating legal services in Scotland. 

“It was also very helpful to meet the staff of the SLCC and hear about the regulatory work which they do on a daily basis. The 2025 Act sets out how the SLCC and its independent advisory panel, and others who regulate legal services in Scotland, should carry out this important work, including the need to take account of the interests of consumers. 

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with them and all other regulatory authorities on implementation of the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025.”