MI5 chief appointed as new Law Society watchdog

One of Britain's spy chiefs has been appointed to improve the Law Society's troubled complaints procedure and help the public to resolve disputes with solicitors.

Sir Stephen Lander, outgoing director general of MI5, is to become the legal profession's first independent commissioner, a job that will involve a thorough investigation of the Law Society's handling of complaints. Sir Stephen, who is retiring from MI5 in October, will be accountable to the Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers.

During his six years in charge of Britain's security service, Sir Stephen played a key role in countering terrorism. Last month he announced that MI5 was to increase its budget substantially to combat international terrorism in response to the 11 September attacks and warnings of strikes against targets in Britain.

His new job may be no less challenging. There are currently 5,917 outstanding complaints and regulatory investigations against solicitors. In 1999, this figure reached 17,000.

Each year about 200 lawyers are found guilty of breaching the solicitors' rules and sentenced by the Law Society's Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). Last year a report by the SDT showed that fines imposed against errant solicitors increased from an annual total of £201,250 to nearly £300,000, while the number of reprimands for breaches of the rules doubled.

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, has told the Law Society that unless it puts its complaints system in order it risks losing the right to self-regulation.

Yesterday Sir Stephen said he was delighted by his appointment, which he described as "part of a wider programme of change for the society designed to improve the relationship between solicitors and the public".

The Law Society said Sir Stephen would play a crucial part in raising standards in the profession, giving a greater voice to clients and improving the way complaints were handled. Janet Paraskeva, chief executive of the society, said: "It is taking time to change the old practices and procedures that have dogged the complaints procedure, but we are beginning to make progress.

"Sir Stephen's appointment should help accelerate this – especially as one of his first tasks will be to examine our procedures and advise us on how we can make them better still." The Law Society has already met most of the targets for handling complaints set by the Government and now claims to resolve 90 per cent of complaints within one year of them being registered.

Sir Stephen has kept a relatively low profile as head of MI5 but has continued to pursue the more open policy favoured by his predecessor, Dame Stella Rimington, creating an MI5 website and advertising job vacancies in the national press.

In a very rare public pronouncement last month, he encouraged members of the public to give information on terrorism to MI5's new hotline.

He will be succeeded as director general by Eliza Manningham-Buller, the daughter of a former lord chancellor. Sir Stephen will take up his new three-year post in November.