Well, bravo! The UK government says it's undertaking the biggest review of the legal profession for years. About time this dusty, state-run, state-supported, state-featherbedded nationalized industry got a firework down its gaiters. Like all government monopolies, it's hugely old-fashioned, wildly inefficient, incredibly costly, and run for the convenience of its providers rather than the public who have to use it.

But oh, no! The first news item I read on this says that the government thinks a new regulatory agency might be needed. Oflaw, as it's being called.

We don't need more regulation of the justice system. That's the problem, not the solution. We need more competition. We need new people to come in and run courts and arbitration in completely new ways that are quicker, cheaper, more reliable, more accessible. Yes, even competing to run courts. And as we said in our report Silk Cut, we need to kill off the lawyers' cosy professional closed shops and let new people and new ideas in, so people have a real choice over who represents them. Then at last people might just get rapid access to justice at a price they can afford.