Legal Services Bill [Lords]

The hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) is as eloquent and courteous as ever, but he manages yet again to fall into the trap of vested self-interest, despite very honourably declaring his self-interest. We return to a fundamental point that has run throughout the debates on the Bill and well before them: why should the legal profession be allowed special status in society, whereby it can look after itself, by regulating itself and appealing to itself in this case? In which other section of society would we allow that? Would we allow it with the police? Probably, the only other section of society that tries to befit itself to such self-regulation is politicians, often much to the disgust of the general public. But there is no basis whatsoever for moving to a system whereby the legal profession can appeal to the legal profession. That is precisely what we are talking about. Barristers, whether practising, non-practising, or in the other House or the High Court, or wherever they end up, need to understand that that internalised attempt to set themselves apart from the principles that we expect of the rest of society simply is not acceptable. The reason why it is not acceptable is that it does not work, and the reason why it does not work—doubtless there may be an opportunity for hon. Members to explore this on Third Reading—is the way in which the legal profession uses its privileged position of being able to use the law and take action in an attempt to silence any criticism.