Solicitors in England and Wales have voted overwhelmingly to introduce term limits and constituency reforms for their Law Society’s governing council, according to the Law Society Gazette of England and Wales.

This means that more than 20 council members will be obliged to step down when their current terms end.

Vote backs limits

At last October’s annual general meeting, it was decided to conduct all-member ballots covering two issues: maximum term limits of 12 years for council members; and constituency re-organisation, including changes to geographical representation.

According to the Gazette, both resolutions were approved, with 83.3% backing the constituency proposals and 77.2% in favour of the proposal on term limits.

Controversy

Law Society President David Greene said that while the outcome may be disappointing news for some council members who had given “long and loyal” service, term limits were commonplace among governing bodies.

More than one in four members of the Law Society Council will be forced to step down when their terms end.

Root-and-branch constitutional changes have generated controversy over the years, the Gazette says. Three years ago, the Law Society’s then-chief executive, Catherine Dixon, resigned, blaming a lack of progress made by the organisation’s near 100-strong council in streamlining governance.