By James Simons
Researchers from The Eye Of Media.Com are using the expertise of the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)to probe some of the standards practised by the SRA and Bar Council when it comes to equal treatment between the legal profession and members of the public. It comes after representatives of the Solicitors Regulatory Authority(SRA) and The Bar Council were unable to fully justify why they do withhold the ages or photograph of solicitors and barristers found guilty of misconduct or fraud.
The ICO gives the final authority on how The Data Protection Act should be applied, though say they have no power of the independence of the SRA and the Bar Council. Their expertise on the Data Protection Act is complete, and members of this publication’s thinktank have simultaneously been studying the Data protection Act and clarifying aspects of it with the Information Commissioner’s office. Three members of our team are today assessing the topic with three separate members of the Information And Commissioner’s Office, all willing to confirm the full implications and applicability of the Data Protection Act.
Both the SRA and The Bar Councilplay a professional role in the legal profession, holding offending legal practitioners to account whenever found breaching accepted standards. The quality of their professional standards are being scrutinised by this publication following the numbers of solicitors and barristers caught in unlawful and dishonourable practices. The SRA rightfully state that offenders of acceptable standards in the legal profession comprises a minority group, but that minority group still pose a danger to innocent litigants who cannot afford to hire representation.
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Solicitors have been struck off for misleading their clients on developments in a case, just to overcharge them. Our team believe that without mentioning the precise age and photograph of the offending solicitor or barrister, the SRA and Bar Council are protecting the profession by not fully exposing them in the same way faced by other offenders from the public. Most lawyers are brilliant and clever, highly dignified in their endeavours. We support and appreciate their service to society, one of the reasons the bad apples among them should be fully exposed. Giving them unfair and unjustified protection goes against the principles of law and fairness inherent in the justice system.
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