Power struggle grows in Law Society

STEPHEN WARD

Legal Affairs Correspondent

A power struggle in the Law Society will come to a head next week when the newly elected solicitors' leader Martin Mears tries to seize greater control.

Mr Mears, seen by many in London as a "backwoodsman" from Norfolk, was elected in opposition to the Law Society establishment on a manifesto of policies popular with small-firm solicitors but publicly highly controversial. Central to these is an attempt to make conveyancing more expensive, and to limit the number of solicitors entering the profession. Both moves would increase solicitors' profits.

Papers for this month's meeting of the ruling council, sent out at the weekend, show that, after two months in office, Mr Mears intends to try to turn his mandate into effective power.

In a key-note paper to the council meeting on 21 September, he says he wants to reduce the powers of the secretary general, the top official in Chancery Lane. Without naming John Hayes, who is due to retire after his fixed 10-year term ends next year, he says he thinks it should be made clear that his successors are "subordinate and responsible to the president".

He says at present "the secretary general is by far the most significant figure in the organisation and the staff will in practice owe their loyalty to him".

Mr Mears, who intends to stand again next year, breaking the tradition of a one-year term of office, writes: "It is essential presidents should be able, in concurrence with the council, to implement their policies without jurisdictional conflicts with an over-mighty secretary general."

The 74-member council nominally holds the power under the Law Society constitution. Its seats are also theoretically elected. But in the past nearly all have been filled, like the presidency, by "Buggins' turn". Mr Mears' coded message is that they have an obligation to go along with his views, because he was elected by the members.