The Attorney General, John Quigley has announced that Western Australia is to officially join the Legal Profession Uniform Law scheme this year.
Mr Quigley said joining the scheme had been one of the most significant and long-awaited developments in the State’s justice system.
He said WA was officially on track to join the scheme from 1 July, alongside Victoria and NSW.
“The scheme reduces compliance costs for firms operating across participating jurisdictions by simplifying and standardising regulatory obligations, cutting red tape and creating a common market for legal services,” the Attorney General said.
“Consumers of legal services will not only be afforded greater protection under the scheme and benefit from greater consistency of experience across jurisdictions, but they will also be empowered to make informed choices about their legal options, with a single framework governing legal practice which is administered by local bodies across participating jurisdictions,” he said.
Mr Quigley said the scheme reduced compliance costs for firms operating across participating jurisdictions by simplifying and standardising regulatory obligations, cutting red tape and creating a common market for legal services across participating jurisdictions.
“The scheme came into operation in Victoria and New South Wales in July 2015,” he said.
“In February 2019, WA signed a landmark agreement with those two jurisdictions to join the scheme.
“The passage of the enabling legislation was required to enable the new uniform laws for the legal profession to commence in WA as required under the agreement.”
He said joining the scheme was a significant milestone in creating a simpler and more efficient system of regulating legal practice in Western Australia.
“When WA officially joins Victoria and NSW in the scheme on July 1, it will operate in respect of 75 per cent of the legal profession in Australia.”
WA President of the Law Society, Rebecca Lee, welcomed the move saying the Society had been in favour of Western Australia adopting the Legal Profession Uniform Law for many years.
“A single, uniform set of professional conduct rules providing inter-jurisdictional consistency can only benefit consumers of legal services, the legal profession and regulators, especially with national and international firms now being commonplace,” Ms Lee said.
“This is an exciting change to the regulation of the Legal Profession and the Law Society will continue to support our members to navigate the new regime,” Mr Quigley said.
He said he was pleased the Government had been able to deliver this important reform.
