In April this year, the Law Society asked members of the WA legal profession what they wanted from their Law Society via a profession-wide survey.
Practitioners told the Law Society that to help lawyers do their jobs effectively, the number one priority should be to advocate on issues impacting the profession, such as regulation and licensing.
Practitioners also told the Law Society about a range of problems they have experienced in dealing with the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia, including delays, service challenges, and problematic regulatory processes.
Through these responses, the Law Society was able to prepare a report for the Board detailing the problems practitioners are experiencing.
Shortly after our survey closed, the Board experienced a cyber incident. As such, the Law Society has given the Board space to deal with the incident before acting on the feedback.
The process of issuing practising certificates for 2025/26 is now well underway. Accordingly, the Law Society provided the survey report to the Board on 28 July.
As a starting point, the Law Society is calling on the Board to acknowledge that these issues exist, and to commit to taking meaningful, practical action to address them urgently.
At the same time, the Law Society is working hand-in-hand with other organisations across the legal profession to put forward possible solutions for the Board to consider, reflecting the views of all those affected.
The Law Society appreciates the nature of the Board’s regulatory role. The Board’s purpose is one of public protection. The legal profession, too, serves a public purpose and it is important that its ability to fulfil that purpose is not hindered by barriers to effective practice.
The Law Society stands ready to work constructively with the Board to sort these problems out and will keep practitioners informed as matters progress.
