Modern slavery and human trafficking statement
As required by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”), this statement sets out the steps we have taken during the financial year ended 31 October 2024 to understand potential modern slavery risks within our business structure and supply chain, as well as the steps taken to eradicate these risks.
About the Law Society
We are the representative and professional membership body for the solicitors’ profession in England and Wales.
We are comprised of different directorates and teams who cover a range of activities. This includes the promotion and/or delivery of a number of commercial and not-for-profit products and services for the membership.
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Our annual turnover is more than the statutory threshold.
Modern slavery risk
As a body incorporated by Royal Charter, we consider the risk of modern slavery or human trafficking to be greater within our supply chains than our own business.
Our most important suppliers are those businesses which:
- help us to run our offices, such as our catering, cleaning and security providers, or
- supply us with the technology we need to deliver our services, together with the recruitment agencies who provide us with staff who are key to our operations
Steps taken
We undertook the following steps during the financial year ended 31 October 2024 to minimise the potential risk of modern slavery and human trafficking being present in our supply chain.
- We ensured that any supplier wishing to work with or for the Law Society completes a supplier questionnaire. This is an essential part of our procurement department’s due diligence.
This questionnaire requires all potential suppliers to provide documentary evidence of their adherence to the Act applicable to their activities and a modern slavery statement. - We identified and reviewed our highest value and most strategically critical suppliers to ensure that our procurement department:
- has the relevant modern slavery policy documentation, and
- is able to undertake an ongoing management of risk within our supply chain
- We undertook a review of the Law Society’s standard contractual terms, and any third-party terms to which it agrees, to ensure they have provisions ensuring compliance with the Act.
- We provided training to our procurement and legal departments to ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains
Where applicable, we also expect our strategically critical suppliers to pay those employees who work at our London offices a salary which is equivalent to the London Living Wage.
The London Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay which is calculated independently to reflect the high cost of living in the capital.
It gives workers in London (and their families) enough to afford the essentials and to save. It is higher than UK employers are required to pay by law.
Our modern slavery policies are supported by the Law Society’s whistleblowing policy. This policy encourages any employee who has concerns to raise them, with appropriate statutory protection and support provided.
The Law Society will continually review our policies to identify and eliminate modern slavery or human trafficking from our business or supply chains.
We are committed to raising awareness and building on this process in the future. We will look to continue this work.
We will refine our practices in the continually changing environment in which we live, and improve our reporting structure for more effective processes moving forward.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 October 2024.
It was approved by the board on 3 December 2024.
Ian Jeffery
Chief executive officer