Solicitors rubberstamp governance changes to Law Society council

England and Wales solicitors voted overwhelmingly to introduce term limits and constituency reforms for the Law Society’s governing council, even though it means some long-standing council members are rendered ineligible to stand in future.

At the Society’s AGM last October, solicitors were asked to vote on a proposed maximum term limit of 12 years for council members; and proposals to reorganise the constituencies represented by council members.

More than three quarters (77.2%) of solicitors who voted approved the term limit proposal; while the constituency proposals attracted 83.3% of the vote.

Just 6% of eligible Society members voted (12,207 out of 200,446).

Law Society president David Greene (pictured) noted that the result would be “disappointing… for those council members who have given long and loyal service representing their constituencies who will become ineligible to stand again”.

But he pointed out that it is common among governing bodies to have such term limits.

Currently, 23 council members have served more than 12 years. 

On the changes to geographical constituencies, Greene commented: “These both recognise the importance of geographical links between our members and their council representatives but also strive rightly to make council more representative of the modern diverse profession.”