Legal service reform outlined in review underway, law society says

A "significant amount of work" on reforms to Manx legal services outlined in a review have already begun, the profession's regulator has said.

The Isle of Man Law Society has welcomed the findings of Lord Edward Garnier KC's independent report on the island's legal system.

It made a total of 32 recommendations to improve legal services.

They included 12 on making major changes to the training and education of new advocates.

The society said some of the changes recommended had started to be rolled out in recent years, in some cases "before the review was announced".

Lord Garnier's report called for changes to the bar examinations and the scrapping of a degree requirement to train as an advocate.

He said the industry needed to be more accessible and it was "important that domestic talent is nurtured" in a small jurisdiction.

The society said a new Manx bar examination course was due to start next week following changes made last year to the Advocates Admission Regulations.

The course would "modernise the route to qualification as a Manx advocate", the society said.

It said: "We are mindful that our profession needs to be more diverse and reflect the wider society that we serve."

"Currently, the majority of trainee advocates are women who have received a state funded education, reflecting a modern law society which encourages inclusion on merit."

The society also said it was planning a full review of its "governing byelaws with the intent to modernise the society's internal rules and enhance its powers to improve consumer protection".

Lord Garnier's report is due to be debated in Tynwald next month.

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