Statement on the De-Regulation of Legal Profession

[Michael Dervin OCS]

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Prime Minister's Statement on the De-Regulation of Legal Professions


Today, the Prime Minister, Mr. Michael Dervin OCS, ruled out any move by his LDO led government to deregulate or reform the legal professions area in the Ocian Federation.

The Prime Minister was speaking to journalists outside the Regional Government Offices in November City, when he was asked about the intricate and controversial regulation of the Legal Professions in the Ocian Federation, which in the past has been a subject of debate given that all Legal Professionals who wish to practise law in the Ocian Federation, must pass a Law Exam set by the Ocian Law Society and in addition must be a member of the Ocian Law Society and subject to all the rules and regulations, (such as Maximum Prices they can charge and standards of practise) set down by the Law Society, which has a monopoly on the Legal Profession, under current Ocian Law. This setup, according the LDO Leader and Prime Minister, Mr. Michael Dervin, “ensures the highest level of standards and qualities are maintained at a affordable cost, ensuring an world class law system which everyone has access to, without fear of accruing high costs in the process or being represented by someone who doesn’t know Ocian Law, so in the end Ocians are well represented by qualified professionals who aren‘t out to take them for every penny they have.”
The Prime Minister went on to further state he “is fully aware of the criticism of the current setup in the Ocian Federation” and “he acknowledges that while no system is ever perfect or without fault, deregulation is not the answer as it will only serve to dilute the high standards we have been trying to build up in the Legal Sector. Should deregulation occur, then we are looking at every charlatan legally setting up a Law Firm, charging their clients a fortune and then baldy representing them in the courts or other legal business, a legal system without regulation is a disaster waiting to happen. By enlarge, it is these charlatans and those who want a easy way into the Legal Profession without studying Ocian Law or passing the Law Test, that want deregulation, not the Legal Sector itself”.

The Prime Minister went on to point out that the Law Society undergo a review of all its practises every month and the Ministry of Justice also carries out a review on the Law Society, ensuring that the aims and goals of the Society and kept to the forefront and it does not stray from these.

“The Society which was founded in late 2007, is chaired by a citizen appointed by a motion of the Federal Assembly upon nomination of the Minister of Justice, therefore ensuring that a qualified and competent person is at the helm of this important body. The Society is carrying out a excellent job and it is fit and apt for the current Ocia and the current climate in the Federation and the Legal Services Sector. Therefore, no deregulation or major review is on the cards for the foreseeable future, however, should the Legal Sector or The Minister for Justice feel that that system no longer works, then I will welcome a full review into the possibility of some deregulation but not full deregulation,” stated the Prime Minister before he moved on to another question.

Today’s ruling out of a review will certainly rattle the cages of a few of Mr. Dervin’s own backbenchers, who have written to him on past occasions seeking deregulation of the Legal Sector, and it will certainly send messages across to critics of this system, that Mr. Dervin’s philosophy of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, will stifle their ambitions for change for a while yet but they will certainly ensure Mr. Dervin will not hear the last of this controversial issue.