Saskatchewan's Legal Profession Amendment Act, 2026 would let the Law Society regulate agents who represent clients regularly before courts and tribunals.
Saskatchewan's government introduced the Legal Profession Amendment Act, 2026 on Wednesday, November 4, Canadian Lawyer reported. The bill is set to strengthen the regulation of agents, described as certain non-lawyers offering legal services. It targets a regulatory concern about agents who represent clients regularly before courts and tribunals.
The government said that agents can legally help parties with certain matters, but that the law allows for occasional representation and is not intended to establish "an unregulated class of legal service providers." Under the bill, the Law Society of Saskatchewan would be authorized to regulate agent activities.
Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan's justice minister and attorney general, said in a statement: "By clarifying who must be licensed and regulated, we are strengthening protections for Saskatchewan residents who access legal services." Tim Brown, executive director of the Law Society, welcomed the bill and said a gap existed before the amendments in the regulatory oversight of agents.
The bill also establishes internal processes for legal service providers with health concerns affecting their ability to practise. At present, legal professionals with such problems must go through disciplinary proceedings to shield the public. Under the bill, health or capacity issues not necessarily linked to professional misconduct would be handled through a process the government described as "more appropriate."
The bill does not change the rules governing limited licensees, who were introduced last year through changes to The Legal Profession Act, 1990, but it sets new requirements to which agents must adhere. Limited licensees are subject to registration, professional liability insurance and code of conduct compliance, among other requirements. The bill also includes housekeeping amendments bolstering the Act's administration.
