Influence | Annual report 2017 | Law Society of Scotland

We planned to influence the creation of a fairer and more just society by being an international centre of excellence in thought leadership.

2016-17 highlights

We responded to 109 consultations across the Scottish and UK governments and the European Commission

• Commented on 19 Bills passing through Holyrood and Westminster and proposed 52 amendments

Influence projects

Action	Summary of progress for the year	Complete/Not complete
UK withdrawal from the European Union We will provide a leading voice as the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union moves forward and ensure the interests of our members feature as decisions are taken on the country’s new relationship with Europe.	Delays to the EU Withdrawal Bill mean that the amendments we drafted, which have been taken up by various MPs, have not yet been debated. Because of this state of limbo, it has been difficult to progress research on the effects of Brexit on our members. However, we have organised and participated in a number of high-profile events including: hosting sell-out fringe events at the SNP and Scottish Green party conferences on Brexit participating in a showcase session at the IBA conference in Sydney on bars’ responses to constitutional issues participating in a round-table event at the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Constitution committee Contributing two chapters to the Scottish Universities Legal Network on Europe (SULNE) e-book on Studying EU Law in Scotland during and after Brexit We have also ensured our responses to government policy positions and legislative proposals, as they are published, have been quick, thorough and have had both the interests of our members and the interests of justice at their core.	Complete
Legal aid research We will build on our #Defendlegalaid campaign by arguing for an effective legal aid system as government reforms take shape and publishing new research on the preventative benefits of legal aid.	We commissioned independent research and consultancy company Rocket Science to carry out an assessment of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of legal aid in criminal, housing and family law cases. They found that for every £1 spent on legal aid in each of these areas, the overall benefit gained by the person receiving legal aid and wider society was valued in many cases as substantially more than £1. The research findings will be shared with the independent review of legal aid commissioned by the Scottish Government. Other activity has included responding to the independent strategic review of legal aid, to proposals for police station fee reforms, the draft Code of Practice suggested by SLAB and the implementation of Part 1 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016.	Complete
Public policy We will launch the work of our new Public Policy Committee, with a focus on proactive policy development whilst responding to public policy proposals of most relevance to the legal sector.	The Public Policy Committee consulted all policy sub-committees and agreed the following three projects as priorities for the committee going forward: To make the case for the creation of an Equalities and Human Rights Ombuds in Scotland Access to medical records Reforming the law regarding the registration of common parts Other highlights included engaging with the Scottish Law Commission and submitting detailed law reform proposals for consideration for the Tenth Programme of Law Reform, establishing our Brexit Policy Working Group and submitting proposals to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee.	Complete
CCBE Presidency We will host the Council of EU Law Societies and Bar Association’s biennial meeting in May 2017, welcoming over 150 lawyers from across Europe, and proudly supporting our past president Ruthven Gemmell in his year as CCBE President.	We successfully hosted the Council of EU Law Societies and Bar Association’s biennial meeting in May 2017.	Complete
Technology and the justice system We will play a leading role as the government and its agencies use digital technology to transform justice in Scotland, including a new research project on public-facing technology and access to justice.	James Ness, Deputy Registrar sits on the Scottish Government's digital justice strategy board which considers digital justice solutions. Staff members of our public policy team have also been involved in digital justice sessions and workshops. Our Courts and Technology Working Group published a paper on minimum standards for videoconferencing, to ensure that new systems allow effective participation by all in the justice system. We have also completed research around public-facing technology and access to justice, considering the potential for public legal education, crowdfunding, online dispute resolution, online courts and artificial intelligence.	Complete