PRO SE PMA Forum - By using our website and services, you confirm your understanding of and agreement to our Terms of Service.

The Monopoly of Justice: Why the Legal System Demands Competition
Breaking the "Devil's Bargain" Between Law Societies and the State

It is time for a bit of competition in the legal space. For too long, Law Societies have held a rigid monopoly over our legal system, claiming total jurisdiction in every province and state. Under this structure, you are forbidden from practicing law unless you are signed up with them. History has proven that monopolies are never efficient and never hold people accountable; they only exist to protect their own brand from scrutiny and criticism.

Across the Western world, these Law Societies are proving to be more deeply corrupt than we ever believed. If you study the history of lawyers, you find a past that is dodgy at best and conspiratorial at its core. A specific group of people has positioned themselves as the sole arbiters of who is allowed to appear in court. They have crafted legislation, often called the "Law Society Act," to cement their legal claim over who can represent others.

This system creates what I call a "devil's bargain" between the government and the Law Society. They provide each other with mutual credibility, acting as partners in a great endeavor to maintain control. The government points to the Law Society’s statutorily created "codes of conduct" as a reason to trust lawyers implicitly. We are told we can rely on them to be honest to judges, clients, and the opposition alike.

This premise of honesty is what gives lawyers their "bona fides," but it is also a dangerous tool for manipulation. In court, judges often believe whatever a lawyer says simply because of their "duty of candor". This duty is not just a moral obligation but a statutorily enforced one. Because judges assume lawyers are acting upon this duty, they often accept lies as truth, making it an uphill battle for anyone to prove otherwise.

If you dare to suggest that a lawyer has misled the court, you often become the problem in the eyes of the judge. Judges will warn you that there are consequences for accusing a lawyer of misrepresentation or "fraud upon the court". This "full court press" serves to silence citizens and hide the dark underbelly of the system. Yet, sometimes proving fraud upon the court is the only way to actually secure justice when your back is against the wall.

The Law Society jealously guards its ability to make money above all else. While you might be allowed to help someone with documents for free, as soon as you charge money, they will label it "practicing law without a license". They will use legal injunctions and fines to stop anyone who attempts to provide document assistance or court procedures for compensation. It is a transparent control structure designed to ensure you only sell legal services if you are a member of their club.

If you have ever tried to file a complaint against a lawyer, you know how little the Law Society takes them seriously. Their first tactic is to exhaust you with usurious demands for information. Then, they take their sweet time, checking in every three months just to tell you to be patient. This process can drag on for years without any resolution because they have no legal obligation to actually resolve anything; they just wait for you to go away.

When they can no longer ignore a complaint, they find ways to excuse the lawyer’s behavior, no matter how abhorrent it was. It is incredibly rare for the Law Society to actually reprimand a member. When they do, the punishments are often ridiculous compared to the offense. A lawyer might be caught stealing millions of dollars, yet their "punishment" might only be a three-month ban or a temporary requirement for oversight.

It is actually quite shocking to realize that these disciplinary actions are not about protection, but about perception. The Law Society is engaged in a public relations campaign, using "virtue signaling" to make it seem like they are in control. They want the public to believe that lawyers are great people who only occasionally deviate from the script. These reports of reprimands are just tools to keep the brand in place.

This entire structure is focused on maintaining a position of power and preventing any other entity from displacing them. Because they have a "captured audience" in the public, they have no motivation to correct their own bad behavior. The public is currently allowed no other option than the local Law Society. Everything they do is driven by the motivation to protect the brand rather than the people they claim to serve.

Imagine if there were actually competition between two or three Law Societies. If the public had the option to choose between different organizations, these societies would be forced to act differently. They would have to actually sell themselves to the public based on their merits and accountability. Competition would break the cycle of corruption and force a standard of excellence that a monopoly simply cannot provide.

In conclusion, the legal system as we know it is built on a foundation of protected interests rather than genuine justice. Realizing that our beliefs about the legal system are often not based in fact is both shocking and relieving, because it points toward a better way. We must demand an end to this monopoly and introduce the competition necessary to hold the legal profession accountable to the people.

How about this?

Formal Proposal: Introduction of Regulatory Competition in the Legal Sector
To: Legislative Assembly / Ministry of Justice
From: We The People
Date: January 7, 2026
Subject: Proposal for the Decentralization and Competitive Reform of Legal Regulatory Bodies

I. Executive Summary
The current legal landscape is defined by a jurisdictional monopoly held by regional Law Societies. This "Law Society Act" structure lacks market efficiency and fails to provide meaningful accountability for legal practitioners. This proposal outlines a transition from a single-entity monopoly to a competitive regulatory framework designed to protect the public interest rather than the "brand" of a singular guild.

II. Problem Statement: The Monopoly of Justice
* Lack of Accountability: Monopolies have no market incentive to hold members accountable, leading to a focus on brand protection over public safety.
* The "Devil's Bargain": A symbiotic relationship exists between the government and Law Societies where they provide each other mutual credibility, often at the expense of transparency.
* Judicial Bias: The "Duty of Candor" creates a systemic bias where judges reflexively believe lawyers, making it an "uphill battle" for citizens to prove when they have been misled.
* Ineffective Discipline: Current disciplinary processes are characterized by exhaustion tactics, long delays, and reprimands that are "ridiculous" relative to the severity of the misconduct.

III. Proposed Reform: A Multi-Regulatory Framework
To address these systemic failures, we propose the following legislative shifts:
1. Termination of Jurisdictional Monopolies
Legislation should be amended to allow for the existence of multiple, competing regulatory bodies within a single province or state.
* Consumer Choice: The public should have the option to choose legal representation from different "tiers" or "brands" of regulation (e.g., Agency A, B, or C).
* Market Motivation: Regulatory bodies would be forced to "sell themselves" based on their rigor, transparency, and efficiency in handling complaints.
2. Reforming "Practice of Law" Definitions
The current system jealously guards the ability to charge money for legal documentation and procedural assistance.
* De-monopolization of Services: Allow non-lawyers to provide specific documentation and court-assistance services for compensation without fear of legal injunctions, provided they meet the standards of their chosen regulatory body.
* Elimination of the "Free-Only" Constraint: Remove the restriction that only allows non-lawyers to assist if they work for "absolutely free".
3. Independent Oversight of "Fraud Upon the Court"
Because the current system shuts down those who reveal the "dark underbelly" of legal fraud, a new independent mechanism is required.
* Fraud Investigations: Establish an independent body to investigate claims of "fraud upon the court" that operates outside the influence of the Law Society and the local judiciary.

IV. Expected Outcomes
* Increased Efficiency: Competition will naturally eliminate the "usurious demands" and multi-year delays currently used to exhaust complainants.
* Genuine Discipline: Punishment will shift from "public relations campaigns" to actual deterrents, including the permanent removal of licenses for egregious fraud.
* Justice for the Public: By breaking the "captured audience" dynamic, the legal system will shift its focus from protecting power to securing justice.

Proposed Model Code of Conduct: The Competitive Legal Standards Agency (CLSA)
This Code of Conduct is designed to replace the existing "brand protection" model with a framework focused on transparent accountability and the prevention of fraud upon the court.

1. The Primary Duty of Verifiable Candor
* Truth as a Standard: A practitioner’s duty of candor is a statutorily enforced obligation that must be backed by verifiable facts, not merely the assumption of honesty.
* Prohibition of Manipulation: Practitioners are strictly forbidden from using their status to manipulate the court or opposition.
* Accountability for Misrepresentation: Any negligent or fraudulent misrepresentation shall be treated as a major breach of this Code, carrying immediate consequences.

2. Protection Against Fraud Upon the Court
* Active Prevention: Practitioners must not engage in, or allow their clients to engage in, any behavior that constitutes fraud upon the court.
* Reporting Requirements: Unlike legacy systems that cover up such actions, members of the CLSA are required to disclose known instances of fraud, even when it involves the "dark underbelly" of the legal system.
* Justice Over Procedure: Securing justice and proving the truth is the only path to a legitimate legal victory; procedural tactics must never be used to mask fraud.

3. Client and Public Accountability
* Transparent Fee Structures: Practitioners must provide clear documentation for all services rendered, moving away from the "jealously guarded" monopoly of legal fees.
* Honesty to All Parties: Honesty is required at all times toward the client, the opposition, and the judge.
* No "Devil’s Bargains": The agency will remain independent from the government to ensure there is no partner-based endeavor to protect mutual credibility over the public interest.

4. Disciplinary Standards and Enforcement
* Efficient Resolution: The agency commits to resolving all complaints within a fixed timeframe, explicitly rejecting the tactic of exhausting complainants with usurious demands for information.
* Proportionate Punishment: Disciplinary actions will not be mere "public relations campaigns" or "virtue signaling".
* Meaningful Sanctions: For egregious acts such as the theft of client funds or intentional fraud, the penalty shall be the permanent revocation of the right to practice, rather than temporary bans or minor fines.

5. Competitive Integrity
* Brand Accountability: The agency exists to serve the public through competition; it shall not seek an injunction against any individual providing honest legal assistance simply because they are not members.
* Correction of Behavior: The agency maintains a motivation to correct bad behavior to retain its reputation in a competitive market.