Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers
Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers (SACL) is a pressure group, registered as a political party, dedicated to exposing alleged corruption within the Scottish legal profession, Court System and the Scottish Government. Their stated main aim is to end the system of self-regulation for solicitors in Scotland. Currently conduct complaints against member solicitors are handled by the Law Society of Scotland with other complaints being dealt with by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, with independent adjudication provided by the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman.
Cause of complaint
Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers state that "Of all the professions that have evolved in our society, none have ever come close to matching the legal profession for downright deceit and dishonesty. The legal profession is immutable, intransigent, self-protective, unaccountable, incompetent and corrupt. For over 500 years this profession has been tyrannising, misleading and oppressing the Scottish people."
Protests
Members of Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers hold regular protests outside the Scottish Parliament buildings at Holyrood, as well as other locations such as the Law Society of Scotland main office in Drumsheugh Gardens, and outside the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Chambers Street, all in Edinburgh.
Leading members
SACL leading members include prominent legal campaigner Stuart Usher, of the Usher Distillery Family. The Usher family were well known for their generosity to Scottish charitable causes, including Usher Hall in Edinburgh.