Society of Licensed Conveyancers Calls for Regulation by Specialism, Not a Single Legal Regulator
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) has responded to recent calls for the creation of a single legal regulator by arguing that the future of legal services regulation should be built around specialist expertise, strong oversight and effective collaboration rather than structural consolidation.
The publication of the Independent Public Bodies Review of the Legal Services Board (LSB) has reignited debate about the future shape of legal regulation, including suggestions that the current framework of multiple regulators could ultimately be replaced by a single regulatory body. The review also recommends that the Ministry of Justice undertake a comprehensive review of legal services regulation by 2029.
Whilst the SLC supports efforts to improve coordination, consistency and accountability across the regulatory landscape, it cautions against assuming that larger or more centralised regulation will necessarily deliver better outcomes for consumers.
Simon Law, Chairperson of the Society of Licensed Conveyancers, said:
“The review correctly identifies the need for effective regulation, strong oversight and greater focus on consumer outcomes. Those are objectives that the Society of Licensed Conveyancers fully supports.
However, structural consolidation alone should not be mistaken for regulatory improvement. The answer is not simply to merge regulators together and assume that better outcomes will follow.
Legal services today are vastly different from those that existed when the Legal Services Act 2007 was introduced. Conveyancing, probate, immigration, litigation, corporate law, digital identity assurance, cyber security and AI-enabled legal services each present distinct risks, challenges and consumer expectations.
In an increasingly complex legal landscape, regulation should be built around expertise and specialism, supported by effective oversight, rather than centralisation.”
The SLC welcomes the review’s recognition that regulatory oversight should be proportionate and should reflect the differing scale, role and capacity of individual regulators rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model.
The Society believes this principle should be extended through a model of regulation by specialism, where specialist regulators focus on areas in which they possess deep market knowledge and expertise, whilst operating within a coordinated framework that promotes consistency, intelligence sharing and consumer protection.
Recent debate within the legal sector has highlighted the important role specialist regulators can play in identifying and responding to sector-specific risks. The conveyancing market faces unique challenges ranging from fraud and cybercrime to lender requirements, referral arrangements, anti-money laundering obligations and the Government’s programme of home-buying reform. These issues require detailed expertise and active market engagement if consumers are to receive effective protection.
The licensed conveyancing profession demonstrates why specialist regulation matters. Home moving remains one of the most important financial and legal transactions undertaken by consumers. The sector faces increasingly complex challenges, including fraud, cybercrime, financial crime prevention, lender risk management and digital transformation. These issues require regulators with genuine specialist knowledge and experience. A generalist regulatory model risks losing the expertise needed to protect consumers and maintain confidence in the home buying and selling process.
The Society believes the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) provides a strong example of the benefits of specialist regulation. As a dedicated regulator of conveyancing and probate services, the CLC has developed deep sector expertise, played a leading role in discussions around home-buying reform, and demonstrated an ability to respond proactively to emerging risks affecting consumers and the wider property market. The focus should not be on reducing the number of regulators for its own sake, but on ensuring that regulators deliver effective outcomes, maintain high professional standards and provide meaningful consumer protection.
Simon Law added:
“Consumers are not protected by making regulators larger. They are protected by ensuring regulators understand the markets they supervise, identify emerging risks early and can respond quickly and proportionately.
Specialist regulation delivers exactly that. The future should be a more joined-up system of specialist regulators working collaboratively, sharing intelligence and focusing on outcomes, rather than pursuing structural consolidation for its own sake.
The CLC’s work in regulating conveyancing and probate demonstrates the value that specialist expertise can bring. The question should not be whether legal services are regulated by one organisation or several. The question should be which regulatory model delivers the best outcomes for consumers. In an increasingly complex legal services market, the answer is more likely to be regulation by specialism, supported by strong oversight and collaboration, rather than a move towards a single regulator responsible for every area of legal practice.”
The SLC welcomes the review’s emphasis on consumer protection, risk-based supervision, improved intelligence sharing and more effective regulatory oversight. At the same time, the Society believes any future reform of legal services regulation must recognise the benefits that specialist regulators bring through sector knowledge, responsiveness and a close understanding of the risks faced by both consumers and regulated professionals.
The Society intends to engage constructively in any future Ministry of Justice review of legal services regulation and will continue to advocate for a regulatory framework that promotes consumer protection, professional competence, innovation and public confidence whilst preserving the benefits of specialist regulation.
Kindly shared by The Society of Licensed Conveyancers
