Complaints Committees are administered and maintained by both the Bar and the Law Society, and are constituted of a majority of lay people, with a lay person in the Chair.
In the majority of cases, a complaint made against a lawyer will be dealt with in-house in order to attempt a speedy and satisfactory resolution. For solicitors, this means the complaints being considered by the firm’s in-house process first. For barristers, it means the complaint being dealt with by the body set up by the Bar to assist with early resolution of complaints.
Should this step not prove successful, or be deemed unsatisfactory by the complainant, the complaint will, providing it meets the statutory criteria, be eligible for formal consideration by the relevant Complaints Committee. This Committee has enhanced powers and is able to consider a broader range of cases. Appeals to the High Court will be available against determinations of the Complaints Committee in specified cases.
Complaints Against The Commissioner
The Commissioner takes any complaint about the quality of their services seriously.
The Complaints Procedure can be accessed here.
For the purposes of this Complaints Procedure, a complaint is defined as “An expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about the Commissioner’s action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of the Commissioner.”
A timely response will be provided following a full and fair investigation of your complaint.