The reconvened Special General Meeting on Alternative Business Structures will be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh on Friday, 16 April at 10 am, the Law Society has announced. Parliament will debate the Legal Services bill on 14 April, without knowing the profession's settled view.

The original meeting was adjourned after frantic negotiations during the comfort break. A formal notice to all members will be issued next week. 

“I can confirm that discussions are ongoing, but it was important that we set a date for the reconvened meeting," said President Ian Smart.

"The venue has now been secured and I hope that as many of our members as possible can make it along – especially those who took the time to come along to the SGM on 25 March - to continue the meeting and participate in the continuing debate.”

The 3282 proxy votes carried forward from the original SGM -claimed by some to oppose ABS policy by a margin of 2 to 1-  can still be cast at the reconvened SGM.

The motion that will be voted upon reads:

"‘The members of the Law Society of Scotland in general meeting find that –

"It is essential in the public interest in the retention of an independent legal profession that the ownership of any business authorised to carry out work which is reserved to persons qualified to practice as solicitors in terms of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 should (except in relation to any business not vested in persons so qualified but which provides legal services as authorized by current law) be vested in persons so qualified,

"And call upon the Scottish Parliament to set out and maintain that position in the statutes and regulations of the Scottish Parliament and, in particular, to amend the terms of the Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, presently before Parliament to that effect.’"