http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/law-council-in-power-grab/story-e6frg97x-1225797161341

What's in the paper:

"This appears to be at odds with the scheme favoured by the taskforce that is designing a new uniform regulatory system. It also appears to be at odds with the views of Attorney-General Robert McClelland and consumer advocates. "It is entirely appropriate that consumers have a say in setting standards for the profession," Mr McClelland said.

However, Law Council president John Corcoran rejected the suggestion that anyone other than lawyers should set the profession's rules of conduct. "We are a proud and independent profession and we won't have imposed on us rules that are unacceptable to the profession. That just does not work," Mr Corcoran said.
The Law Council said it had adopted this stance to defend its independence.

But it also wants consumers of legal services to pay for the new national institutions that will run the regulatory system, just as they currently pay for the profession's state-based regulators.
All costs for the legal services board and the proposed national legal ombudsman would be met from "existing sources of funding", which in most states consist of interest earned on clients' money while it's held on deposit in solicitors' trust accounts.

What I read:

...be at odds with the chicken coop design scheme favoured by the avian taskforce. It also appears to be at odds with the views of chickens everywhere. "It is entirely appropriate that birds have a say in setting standards for chicken coops" Mother hen said.

However, Alpha Wolf rejected suggestions anyone other than wolves should set the standards for new chicken coops. "We're a proud and independent species and we won't have coops imposed on us that are unacceptable to the pack. That just doesn't work" Alpha Wolf said. The pack said that it'd adopted this stance to protect its independence.

It also wants chickens to provide food for the Wolf Packs who'll monitor the new coop system, just as they currently provide for the neighouring dog packs. All food for the wolves running the coop system would be met from "existing coops" which in most cases, are farmers' eggs.

You will see a two bob rant about the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on another posting, but this thread shows just how arrogant lawyers really are. The organised crime gang that has dominated Australia since 1900, and insinuated themselves into the real seat of power, the courts, where they have given themselves a monopoly, is the lawyers union. I call it the Covenant.

What we see is an almost slave like belief that a lawyer will not lie. We have a totally dishonest money grubbing profession, with a falsely created economy which they dominate. The Rules in the Covenant make the Rules of Every Court criminal conduct rules. That includes the High Court and to balance our Budget, they should have their trotters and snouts withdrawn from the public purse.

How long must we wait for an apology from the Australian Federal Police that they will not enforce the covenant on lawyers. In meetings with them, they almost look like mice, in the presence of a cat, when asked why they tolerate lawyers. It is time to perhaps reenact the laws banning lawyers from parliament that existed from 1372 until 1871, in England, and booting the forty five lawyers out of the House of Representatives. By my count there are thirty in the Labor Party and fifteen in the Liberals. They should be restricted to the Senate, where they could serve a useful purpose reviewing legislation passed by the commoners in the House of Representatives.

We grant lawyers unlimited extra Parliamentary powers, and the power to decide what laws enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament they will obey. Rudd will be forever apologizing. Two out of three is not too bad, but what about an apology for the pain and suffering imposed by lawyers on hapless individuals who come within their power. Costs orders make lawyers rich, imposed for lawyers by lawyers, and abolished by the Covenant. To use a Keating word, these scumbags need to be educated, and to be made to abide the laws of the Commonwealth. Its time an AFP Officer was in every court

Very good TRTL.

A self-regulated legal profession!? Sounds like wonderful fodder for a Chaser skit.

Self-regulation didn't work in the food industry in relation to health and food safety - why would it work in the legal profession with such a vested interest in the status quo.

TRTL,

Too true,

A few small additional comment perhaps, Shakespeare was/is right when he said "first execute all the lawyers".

Then change the other great costly union strangle hold that of the medical 'colleges'(unions).

IMO no degree should be a an inalienable right to print money at the expense of the people

The same applies to any group that has sufficient power to make its own rules.

Politicians have much the same attitude. They consider themselves a separate species, deserving of financial protection outside the rules that apply to the rest of us. Vote-yourself-a-payrise. Build a massive pile of superannuation/gold passes. Run an expense account for stuff that the hoi polloi must pay for - and who also pay FBT on top, suckers.

Don't hold your breath for any reform here. They make the rules to suit themselves.

The health profession also operates (pardon the pun) a massive protection racket, based on the fact that we are all freaked out by health issues. They will resist any attempt to measure their performance, even though the world knows that some hospitals are notoriously greater death-traps than others. They will always go the extra mile, to keep us in the dark about the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Meanwhile, they happily dispense as many pills as the pharmaceutical industry can supply them with, so that they can get to their "conferences" each year for that extra few days of golf.

Reform? Dream on.

The thread that connects them all is accountability. Or rather, the complete absence of accountability.

Lawyers will charge you for everything, including the coffee and biscuits their flunkey serves in their office, together with the flunkey's time at $350 an hour. But they will never give you a straight answer, because if they do, they have to stop the clock.

Politicians promise their undying devotion to their electorate, right up until the time they make it to parliament. Then it is just a matter of how much gravy they can extract from the system, and for how long.

Doctors just shrug, and tell you they did what they could. After all, you couldn't do what they can do, could you? So shut up.

A pox on all their houses.

Best lead post in a while, TRTL.

Lawyers like wolves are a necessary evil. Smart chickens avoid them whenever possible and roost in the trees.