Bogan warns:"I'll carry on campaign to split functions"

Anthony Bogan has vowed to continue his campaign to split the Law Society's functions after his defeat by 14,199 votes to 8,881 in the postal ballot last week.

Bogan, who is chair of the Solicitors Association, told The Lawyer he was "delighted" with the 40 per cent of the vote he won in the ballot, which was announced last week.

But he attacked the Law Society for issuing a press release on the news which contained extensive quotes from Law Society president Tony Girling, but no comments from members of the society who had supported the split.

In his statement, Girling claimed victory and called for an end to the debate.

"The proposition that the profession would somehow benefit from an external organisation acting as its trade union has now been defeated three times - in the presidential election, at the annual general meeting and now in a ballot of the whole profession."

But Bogan retorted: "Martin Mears said in his manifesto that he would support a referendum if there was sufficient demand for it, and 14,000 solicitors voted for him. At the AGM, when the vote was decided by a show of hands, the Girling camp filled the hall with its cronies and the margin was still fairly close."

He told The Lawyer: "I'll continue my campaign. If Tony Girling thinks he can ignore 9,000 solicitors, then he's got another think coming."