New government-backed taskforce begins work to protect England and Wales as a global legal hub
A new government-backed legal services taskforce has begun work amid growing concern that rival jurisdictions are seeking to challenge the UK’s position as the world’s leading centre for commercial law.
The English Law Promotion Panel, convened by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, held its first meeting last week. The panel brings together senior figures from across the legal sector with the aim of promoting England and Wales as the jurisdiction of choice for international legal work.
Mark Evans, president of the Law Society, said the inaugural meeting focused on establishing the panel’s scope and the expertise each member brings. The Law Society is one of several organisations represented on the panel.
“We represent over 200,000 members,” Evans said. “What makes us different from other people around the table is we have got over 10,000 members based around the globe. We have direct links with our members in existing jurisdictions and potentially emerging or new jurisdictions.”
According to the Law Society’s most recent international data insights report, the London Commercial Court remains the leading international forum for resolving complex commercial disputes. English law also continues to be the preferred governing law for many international commercial contracts.
Evans said all members of the panel shared a common objective: ensuring the UK retains its position at the top of the global legal market. However, he warned that this status could not be taken for granted.
“Everyone around the table wants the UK to remain the jurisdiction of choice,” he said. “But we are all aware that there are competing jurisdictions around the world looking to take away our position in a global market. The competition is fierce.”
Asked whether free trade agreements were discussed, including the UK-India deal that excluded legal services, Evans said the panel did not examine specific agreements at its first meeting. He confirmed, however, that discussions between the Law Society and its Indian counterparts were ongoing and that there was optimism that progress could be made.
Evans also acknowledged that domestic issues could affect how England and Wales are perceived internationally. He said overseas observers often scrutinise areas such as legal aid when assessing the strength of the jurisdiction.
“When we are promoting English law, we are promoting the strengths of our system,” he said. “But people around the world are also looking at what we are doing domestically, and some may seek to use perceived weaknesses to promote their own jurisdictions.”
Addressing the panel’s name, Evans said the reference to English law reflected how international business commonly views the jurisdiction. “It’s called English law, but it’s the promotion of the jurisdiction of England and Wales,” he said, noting that most international contracts and M&A deals continue to be drafted under English law.
The panel will meet quarterly, with minutes to be published on gov.uk.