The Law Society have responded to Alistair Bonnington's open letter, in which he raised suspicions about the aborted move from Drumsheugh Gardens.

Bonnington had questioned why a motion submitted for debate at the forthcoming SGM had been modified to ensure that the £98,000 cost of the failed move was scrutinised by external audiotrs, and not the Society's audit committee.

“My initial curiosity over this matter has become, I'm afraid, something like suspicion,“ Bonnington had said.

“It is extraordinary in my view that the Council of the Law Society's response to my Motion is to suggest that instead of going to the Audit Committee this matter should go instead to the Society's own auditors - and that under a much more restricted remit than I had proposed. Further the Council want the report from these auditors to go not to the membership as I had proposed, but back to the Council who will then decide what is to be disclosed to the membership. Why?”

The Law Society have now said that the relocation is currently on hold until the market recovers, adding that losses would have been far greater than the costs which were incurred, if they had gone ahead, against the professional advice taken at the time.

“The Society’s Audit Committee was involved at various stages throughout the process and the Society followed the Audit Committee’s recommendation to strengthen its tendering process," said Jamie Millar, former treasurer and currently vice president of the Society.

"The Audit Committee also recommended an independent review. Regrettably that recommendation was not implemented because of an oversight.”

“As the Society’s Audit Committee was involved in the relocation project, Council believe that an external auditor should carry out the review. The Council’s amendment asks the profession to vote in favour of that independent review at the Special General Meeting on September 24.

Bonnington's open letter can be read here.