I Fought the Law (Society) and the Law Won
In November 2016, the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) heard the first competition law litigation case to be brought under the new Fast Track Procedure (FTP), as introduced under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
The case was brought by Socrates Training Limited – a provider of training courses to solicitors – who alleged that The Law Society, by “tying” its Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme (CQS) to its own training courses, was abusing a dominant position.
In May this year, the CAT handed down judgment, ruling in Socrates’ favour and finding the Law Society had breached both Chapter I and Chapter II prohibitions of the Competition Act.