Efforts to create a national legal market, championed by NSW, are a step closer with Western Australia signing a landmark agreement to join the Legal Profession Uniform Law Scheme.
The Uniform Law has been operating in NSW and Victoria since 2015, creating a simpler and more efficient system of regulating legal practice and cutting red tape for lawyers and their clients.
Legislation will be introduced into the Victorian and Western Australian Parliaments later this year to apply the Uniform Law, with WA to formally join the scheme on 1 July 2020.
From that date the Legal Services Council, which oversees the implementation and operation of the Uniform Law, will be expanded to seven and include at least one member from WA.
Attorney General, Mark Speakman said that around 68 per cent of Australia’s practising lawyers were regulated by uniform law, and that would increase to around 75 per cent when Western Australia came on board.
“Importantly, the Uniform Law provides strengthened protections for consumers including through applying consistent regulations in different states,” Mr Speakman said.
Victoria’s Attorney-General, Jill Hennessy said a seamless legal market between the three States would deliver time and cost savings to consumers and the legal profession.
“In the 21st century, people work across borders and it makes sense for lawyers to operate under the same rule book, which is why we are urging our counterparts in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory to adopt the Uniform Law,” Ms Hennessy said.
WA Attorney General, John Quigley said resource-based industries and the law firms that represent them would be among the big winners when the Uniform Law commenced in Western Australia.
“We want to send a message across Australia and internationally that WA is a great place to do business and the introduction of the Uniform Law will help to do this,” Mr Quigley said.
The Ministers said Australia had almost 85,200 registered lawyers, including around 36,000 in NSW, close to 22,500 in Victoria and nearly 6,100 in Western Australia.
