The Association of British Investigators Lawyer Registration Scheme (via The Law Society).
Solicitors, Lawyers and other UK Legal Practitioners are invited to register with The Association of British Investigators (ABI) in order to demonstrate to their clients and their fellow professionals that they are exercising due diligence when selecting an investigator or process server.
Background to the Lawyer Registration Scheme
The ABI’s Lawyer Registration Scheme was initiated in 2001, ‘The Private Security Industry Act’ created the mandate to regulate investigators in private practice when carrying out prescribed ‘licensable’ activities.
To date, the licensing process has not been initiated and the latest indication from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is that the process will not commence before 2011.
In anticipation of the ongoing delays in implementing licensing The Association of British Investigators has steadily tightened its membership criteria in recent years.
With no licensing alternative planned for the foreseeable future, The Association of British Investigators now offers a unique registration scheme as means to overcome potential difficulties presented by either unscrupulous or incompetent investigators.
This will hopefully become the prudent lawyer’s focused due diligence when choosing a competent, reliable and professional investigator or process server.
The Scheme
Solicitors and Lawyers and other UK Legal Practitioners need only register their details with The Association of British Investigators, and upon receipt, they will be provided with a stylish logo that will be displayed on literature and websites.
Not only is this is a useful marketing tool for legal practitioners who can then openly demonstrate that they will instruct ABI’s members to carry out the investigation, litigation support and process serving assignments.
In this way, legal practitioners are able to reassure their clients that the investigator instructed in their particular case is stable, capable, responsible, accountable and both legally and ethically compliant: As part of the rigorous requirements for membership, all ABI members are expected to produce a clear Criminal Conviction Certificate, ensuring their certificate is updated every two years; to demonstrate they have Data Protection Notification with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and to have current Professional Indemnity Insurance, before being invited to sit before a Selection Panel to be examined for competency. The Association’s membership criteria are second to none.
Administration
There are no fees to join the Lawyer Registration Scheme and there are no fees to remain on the ABI register.
Legal practitioners are expected to give members of The Association of British Investigators first option to tender, either direct or through the ABI’s head office.
The Association of British Investigators will automatically supply a free copy of its periodic Journal.
Lawyers on the Register will also have the opportunity to participate, as Speaker, Exhibitor, Sponsor or Delegate, in the ABI’s meetings and events.
The Register will be published on the Association of British Investigators website with the option to install reciprocal links.
The Association of British Investigators reserves the right to remove any register entry without notice.
