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Declining ethics prompts alarm in Britain

Britain’s Legal Services Board has proposed radical measures to stem a “decline in ethical standards”.

This week the oversight body said that legal education, training and regulation must be strengthened, with a “significant shift in how lawyers’ ethics are taught, overseen and supported in workplaces”.

The LSB said that it was acting on the strength of a growing body of substantial evidence that lawyers were unaware of their ethical requirements, or even actively ignoring them.

The oversight regulator says that it has seen lawyers misleading courts, using strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) to bully opponents, and silencing victims of harassment with non-disclosure agreements.

Issuing a consultation paper yesterday (6 March), the LSB said that it wanted frontline regulators to make sure ethics were at the core of how lawyers behaved and acted throughout their careers – with strong action taken when individuals fall short.

Gaps

Chief executive Craig Westwood said: “The administration of justice and the rule of law rely on lawyers maintaining the highest ethical standards.

“Our evidence shows there are gaps in understanding and support that need to be addressed. 

“Regulators have a role to play in making sure that lawyers have the knowledge, skills and support from their leaders and workplaces to make sound ethical decisions throughout their careers,” he said.