APIL reacts angrily to Clementi review

15/12/2004

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has said Sir David Clementi was

“absolutely right” to put consumers at the centre of a properly regulated

legal system. But Apil declared personal injury lawyers are bitterly

disappointed that claims management companies appear to have slipped through

the regulatory net yet again.

ÃâÅClementi has shied away from this issue and has put additional pressure on

the Government which must, surely, now step in to ensure claims management

companies are properly regulated,Ãâ? said Colin Ettinger, president of APIL.

ÃâÅOnly last month the Lord Chancellor suggested these companies are

effectively drinking at the last chance saloon unless they clean up their

act. The Clementi review has not felt able to take the step of properly

defining legal services to include claims management companies so now the

Government must act.

ÃâÅAnd on Monday this week, the Citizens Advice Bureau supported this call,

voicing its concern about ‘high pressure sales tactics by unqualified

intermediaries’,Ãâ? Mr Ettinger went on.

ÃâÅThe Government has dithered for years over this issue, and Clementi has now

failed to deal with it. It really is time someone – and it has to be

Government – grasped this nettle.Ãâ?

Post