LSB releases statutory guidance on LETR, despite opposition from regulators

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published statutory guidance following the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), urging regulators to increase flexibility in education and training.

In its guidance, the LSB said that regulators should not limit the number of people entering the profession and that providers should enjoy flexibility in delivering training and education. It also recommends that no particular route into the profession should be prescribed by regulators as "the gold standard". As reported by Legal Futures, the super-regulator has not indicated a timetable for reform, but it has explicitly stated that it will "take necessary action if regulators do not deliver". Chairman of the LSB, David Edmonds, said: "Today's statutory guidance is designed to be a catalyst for modernisation of the regulatory framework for education and training. We look to the frontline regulators to implement that guidance in ways that add flexibility to regulation."

Regulators, including the Law Society and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), have accused the LSB of overstepping its remit by issuing statutory guidance. Simon Thornton-Wood, head of education and training at the BSB, commented: "As we made clear in our response to the consultation, we believe that the LSB is exceeding its powers by issuing statutory guidance; and it is not necessary, in our view, to do this…We believe that frontline regulators are best placed to formulate their own approach, tailored to the needs of their respective profession." Earlier in the year, the City of London Law Society concluded that LSB training proposals were "deeply flawed".