19 October 2011

The Law Society of NSW welcomes the announcement that the National Legal Services Board and the Office of the National Legal Services Commissioner will be based in NSW.

Law Society President Stuart Westgarth said the decision represents further progress in the commencement of the new regime for national regulation of the legal profession.

“The fact that the National Board and Commissioner will be operating from NSW is a sensible decision having regard to the fact that the NSW profession is the largest segment in Australia, representing more than 40% of the national profession,” he said.

“In NSW, we have had, and under this new regime will continue to have, a healthy and efficient co-regulatory scheme of regulation and we will give every assistance that we can to the proposed Board and the Commissioner in the discharge of their functions.

“The Law Society appreciates the diversity of the Australian legal profession in which the various state and territory stakeholders have different historic and cultural traditions. The Law Society will be keen to ensure that the new Board and Commissioner will be respectful of these differences in its work.”

Media contact: Sue Finn (02) 9926 0288 or 0412 346 648

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