BSB outlines its plan to act on CMA recommendations

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published its plan to address the recommendations contained in the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report into legal services.

The plan focuses on improving standards of consumer transparency regarding the services provided by barristers, their fees and the availability of redress. With similar plans being put in place by
the other legal regulators, the aim is to enable consumers to compare legal service providers more easily.

Speaking about the plan, BSB Director of Strategy and Policy Ewen MacLeod said: “In developing our plan, we have started to identify good practice in chambers. We want to build on this and ensure our proposals take into account the ways in which barristers deliver their services. This is an opportunity to introduce real improvements for clients. We will engage very closely with the Bar, with other legal regulators and with other interested parties whilst we develop our proposals, before issuing a formal consultation at the end of September. We will also be piloting some new approaches and will be looking for volunteers from the public access Bar and the family law Bar to take part in the pilots.”

The BSB’s CMA action plan is available here.

About the Bar Standards Board

Our mission is to regulate barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest. For more information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t