Justice Committee rejects call for inquiry into Law Society's handling of property deals case

Holyrood’s Justice Committee has rejected calls for an inquiry into how the Law Society of Scotland handled its investigation of MP Michelle Thomson’s former lawyer. 

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie had urged the committee to carry out a probe into the conduct of the Law Society regarding the case of Christopher Hales, who was struck off over property deals involving Thomson.

MSPs on the Scottish Parliament committee had also been asked to assess whether a shake-up of the regulatory regime for the legal profession is required.

Police Scotland is undertaking an investigation into “alleged irregularities relating to property deals” following the tribunal which saw Hales struck off for professional misconduct after carrying out property deals on behalf of Thomson and her business partner.

Thomson, who had been the SNP's business spokeswoman in the House of Commons, has withdrawn from the party whip and been automatically suspended from the party. She now sits in the House of Commons as an Independent MP.

Hales was suspended by the Law Society in 2011 before being found guilty of professional misconduct in a ruling by the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal last year.

However, the Law Society has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of the case amid questions over whether the body should continue to investigate complaints on solicitors’ conduct.

The Law Society confirmed it had "informally" raised concerns about the Hales case during two separate meetings with prosecutors in December 2014 and April 2015. A formal report to the Crown was not made until July of this year, two months after Thomson was elected SNP MP for Edinburgh West.

Earlier this month the Law Society revealed it had sent a ‘suspicious activity report’ to the UK-wide Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) – now the National Crime Agency – in October 2011.

Holyrood’s Justice Committee earlier this week ruled out launching a probe after Baillie, Scottish Labour’s public services spokeswoman, wrote to MSPs urging them to do so.

Minutes of their private discussion state: “The Committee considered a request from Jackie Baillie MSP for an inquiry into (a) the conduct of the Law Society of Scotland regarding the Christopher Hales case and (b) whether it is appropriate for the Law Society to act as both regulator and advocate for the legal profession, and agreed not to undertake an inquiry into these issues.”

Thomson has denied any wrongdoing and insists she always acted within the law.