Law Society ballot bars the door to non-lawyers

Postal voters have rejected the Law Society’s plans to include non-lawyers as fee-paying society members.

Around 17,500 valid postal votes were cast, with 40.5 per cent in favour of the changes and 59.5 per cent against.

More than 138,000 papers were distributed to members, but only 12.8 per cent of these were cast as votes. The ballot is understood to have cost the Law Society £90,000.

TheLawyer.com reported last week that the society had been accused of holding an unfair ballot on the proposals. A group of members claimed it had tried to influence the vote by including a glossy Law Society brochure with its submission in favour of the charter overhaul.