Law Society functions are governed by The Legal Profession Act, 1990, the Rules of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and the Code of Professional Conduct.
In combination, the Act, Rules and the Code of Professional Conduct, provide the framework within which the Law Society operates to fulfill its mandate to protect the public interest through effective regulation of the legal profession.
The Act authorizes the legal profession in Saskatchewan to regulate itself in the public interest. This function is carried out by the Law Society through Benchers, a board of directors made up of lawyers and non-lawyers, Law Society staff and volunteers. The Benchers are authorized by the Act to implement and enforce Rules governing the practice of law and all aspects of the regulatory process including trust accounting requirements, hearing processes, admissions standards, continuing professional development and much more.
The primary mission of the Law Society is to protect the public by assuring the integrity, knowledge, skill, proficiency and competence of lawyers. The Law Society discharges this duty by defining and enforcing the standards of professional competency and conduct, including ethical conduct, expected of all lawyers. The Code creates the standards of conduct and guidance as to their interpretation. This is intended to provide a framework within which a lawyer will fulfill his or her core duties of integrity, competency and loyalty. In some respects, this Code articulates aspirations consistent with the importance of the lawyer’s role serving clients and the administration of justice. The Code also articulates standards of conduct for which lawyers are held strictly accountable.
The Benchers of the Law Society of Saskatchewan are responsible for determining what constitutes a violation of the Code. In the Code, the Benchers attempt to define and illustrate appropriate standards of conduct expected in a lawyer’s professional relationship with clients, the profession and the justice system. It is impossible for any Code to establish all things that might amount to inappropriate behaviour on the part of a lawyer. For matters not specifically addressed in the Code, the Code may be used as a guide.