Fergus Ewing MSP has made the surprise announcement at a Law Society roadshow event last night that an amendment removing the ability for ministers to set the criteria and proportion of non-solicitor members of the Society’s governing Council, would be brought forward.

The move drops one of the most contentious elements of the draft Legal Services bill that caused furious debate amongst members of the profession.

Ewing is reported to have said said that it was no longer felt necessary to include this ‘fall back power’ and there would be ‘no ministerial power whatsoever to appoint lay members to the Council of the Law Society of Scotland’.