THE shake-up of legal services which will allow supermarkets, banks and high street shops to offer legal services has taken a step closer.
It follows the introduction to the Scottish Parliament of new regulations aimed at modernising the legal profession by Legal Affairs Minister Roseanna Cunningham.
The regulations, which come into force in July, follow Holyrood's approval of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 which paved the way for legal services to the public and business to be organised and delivered in new ways.
To provide the service, dubbed "Tesco law", business such as supermarkets or banks have to qualify as a "licensed legal services provider".
Licensed providers, who will be approved by regulators approved by the Scottish Government, will also be able to offer other ser-vices such as accountancy.
Ms Cunningham said the legislation was intended to lead to greater flexibility, more competition and improved access to justice in the legal services market.
The Government says the legal profession is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy, with an annual turnover estimated at more than £1 billion.
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