Scottish parliament passes Legal Services Bill

The Legal Services Bill has been passed by the Scottish parliament and will give legal practitioners north of the border the right to form associations with non-lawyers in alternative business structures (ABS).

Despite debate over the so-called Tesco Law MPs voted for its adoption, following the path taken by England and Wales, which will see the first ABS open their doors in a little under a year.

Some qualified solicitors may fear the legislation will squeeze smaller legal service providers out of the market by putting them in direct competition with large market entrants such as supermarkets.

But many consider the changes to be beneficial for clients, encouraging transparency in legal services and better value for money.

Consumer Focus Scotland adopts this view, the BBC reports, claiming the changes will usher in "a more open, innovative and competitive legal services sector".

Complaints relating to legal services could now be dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman, an organisation that opened its doors last week and expects around 100,000 cases a year.