There are about 600 cases a year, which Peter Williamson, newly in charge of regulation at the society, wants to make available to the public. The society represents about 100,000 solicitors in England and Wales.

Mr Williamson, a former president of the society, is also seeking a range of new powers to give the society tougher sanctions and wider powers to keep solicitors in line and introduce “early warning” systems to spot lawyers going off the rails.

Mr Williamson, who has been appointed to head the society’s new independent Regulation Board with its £55 million budget, said: “We need new powers to make us a modern regulator along the lines of a body such as the Financial Services Authority.” He added: “Our powers date back to the Solicitors’ Act 1974, when I was an articled clerk.

“The Legal Services Bill, published last week, provides a golden opportunity for new powers that we now need and we are hopeful that we will get them.”

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