Chamber and committees

Good morning, and welcome to the 23rd meeting in 2023 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, in session 6. We have received no apologies this morning.

Our first agenda item is the third evidence session on the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill. I refer members to papers 1 and 2. Members will note that the further correspondence that we have had with the Minister for Victims and Community Safety is in annexes B to D of paper 1. The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee took evidence from the minister at its meeting last week and has subsequently written to the Lord President of the Court of Session for his thoughts on potential changes to the delegated powers provision in the bill. That letter is in annex E of paper 1. The DPLR Committee expects to report to this committee in advance of our evidence session with the minister on 5 December.

I welcome to this morning’s meeting Rosemary Agnew, who is the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman; Colin Bell, who is chair of the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal; and Neil Stevenson, who is chief executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. You are all very welcome.

I invite each of our witnesses to make brief opening remarks, should they wish to. I start with that offer to Rosemary Agnew.

Would you like to share it?

I will bring in my colleague Annie Wells, who is joining us online, this morning.

Annie, do you have any supplementary questions?

I will bring in Maggie Chapman to pursue that line of questioning.

Okay. Thank you for that.

Rosemary Agnew, what is your view on powers for professional organisations to investigate complaints on their own initiative where they arise from their regulatory monitoring systems?

Okay. Thank you.

There are proposals in the bill to give the SLCC new rule-making powers with the aim of improving complaints procedures. Is that an appropriate way to improve procedures, or should there be more detail in the bill? For example, we know that mediation is not compulsory, but should it be? It will be interesting to hear views on that. I will come to Rosemary Agnew first and then Neil Stevenson. Colin Bell, feel free to indicate if you wish to come in at any time.

Neil Stevenson wants back in.

That was really interesting.

The power is to be granted to the SLCC to initiate complaints in its own name when it becomes aware of a public interest issue. I am interested in getting a practical example of that, please.