Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill

I am pleased to join the final stages of the third reading of this bill. I was unavoidably absent from the House on 2 March when the third reading began.

💬 Darren Hughes: Why?

Well, actually, I was with my very good friend and colleague the Minister of Police opening yet another new police station—on this occasion in Taupo, of course, a wonderful place! So it is good to be here today to recap on the bill. The main purpose of the bill is to maintain public confidence in the provision of legal services, to protect consumers, and to recognise the status of the professions that provide those services. It removes unnecessary regulation from the legal service industry and replaces it with a more efficient regulatory framework that will give the public greater confidence in the legal profession. I am confident that that will, indeed, be the outcome of this legislation.

I do want to note the impetus for reform in this area that came from the New Zealand Law Society. I would like to acknowledge the many hours of work that the New Zealand Law Society has dedicated to the development of the bill, and the patience with which its members have waited for the enactment, and more than once sitting in the gallery of this House for that purpose. I think it is particularly appropriate that I acknowledge and mention Ian Haynes and Christine Grice, both former presidents of the society; Chris Darlow, the current president; and Alan Ritchie, the executive director, for their tireless efforts to see this bill through to its conclusion.

The bill introduced the occupation of conveyancers to New Zealand. But I think it is again important to acknowledge the history. It has its origins in this context in the 1997 Conveyancers Bill introduced into this House by my predecessor, the Hon Phil Goff. A new Society of Conveyancers will be established to regulate this new occupation.

A modern regulatory framework is provided through the bill for the legal profession. It establishes the New Zealand Law Society as that regulatory arm of the profession. The bill will create a professional environment for lawyers and licensed conveyancers while at the same time protecting the public from negligent or incompetent lawyers or licensed conveyancers. Many areas of work that have been traditionally reserved for lawyers will now be opened up to greater competition, meaning that over time there will be greater choice for consumers about where and from whom they purchase their legal services. The bill significantly improves the existing complaints and discipline regimes for lawyers. An independent legal complaints review officer will be appointed who will assume an ombudsman-like role in hearing complaints against lawyers and conveyancers.

This is an important bill both for the public and legal service providers. The introduction of licensed conveyancers is significant. This new occupational framework for lawyers and conveyancers is an excellent example of co-regulation at work. It combines the benefits of industry self-regulation, flexibility, innovation, and industry buy-in with sufficient regulatory oversight to maintain appropriate consumer confidence. The reforms contained in this bill are fundamental and, in my view, well overdue. It is therefore with some considerable satisfaction that I welcome its third reading and commend this bill to the House today.

Bill read a third time.