Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

  1. Introductory Text

  2. PART 1 THE LEGAL SERVICES OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONER FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

    1. 1.The Legal Services Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland

    2. 2.General powers of the Commissioner

    3. 3.Duty of certain bodies to consult Commissioner

    4. 4.Duty of Commissioner to review certain matters

    5. 5.The levy

    6. 6.The levy: supplementary provisions

    7. 7.Payments by Department

    8. 8.Privilege for certain publications

    9. 9.Lay observer

    10. 10.Interpretation of Part 1

  3. PART 2 COMPLAINTS AGAINST BARRISTERS

    1. Complaints procedures for barristers

      1. 11.Complaints procedures for barristers

    2. Bar Complaints Committee

      1. 12.Bar Complaints Committee

      2. 13.Jurisdiction of the Bar Complaints Committee

      3. 14.Excluded complaints

      4. 15.Complainants

      5. 16.Orders under section 15

      6. 17.Procedure for complaints

      7. 18.Notification requirements

    3. Determinations by Bar Complaints Committee

      1. 19.Determination of complaints

      2. 20.Alteration of compensation limit

    4. Appeals

      1. 21.Appeals

    5. Information

      1. 22.Information and documents

      2. 23.Reporting failures to provide information or produce documents

      3. 24.Enforcement of requirements to provide information or produce documents

      4. 25.Reports of investigations

    6. Defamation

      1. 26.Protection from defamation claims

    7. Rules

      1. 27.Consultation requirements for Bar Complaints Committee rules

    8. Interpretation

      1. 28.Interpretation of Part 2

  4. PART 3 COMPLAINTS AGAINST SOLICITORS

    1. Complaints procedures for solicitors

      1. 29.Complaints procedures for solicitors

    2. Solicitors Complaints Committee

      1. 30.Solicitors Complaints Committee

      2. 31.Jurisdiction of the Solicitors Complaints Committee

      3. 32.Excluded complaints

      4. 33.Complainants

      5. 34.Orders under section 33

      6. 35.Continuity of complaints

      7. 36.Procedure for complaints

      8. 37.Notification requirements

    3. Determinations by Solicitors Complaints Committee

      1. 38.Determination of complaints

      2. 39.Alteration of compensation limits

    4. Appeals

      1. 40.Appeals

    5. Information

      1. 41.Information and documents

      2. 42.Reporting failures to provide information or produce documents

      3. 43.Enforcement of requirements to provide information or produce documents

      4. 44.Reports of investigation

    6. Defamation

      1. 45.Protection from defamation claims

    7. Rules

      1. 46.Consultation requirements for Solicitors Complaints Committee rules

    8. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal

      1. 47.The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal

    9. Interpretation

      1. 48.Recognised bodies

      2. 49.Interpretation of Part 3

  5. PART 4 GENERAL

    1. 50.Interpretation

    2. 51.Review

    3. 52.Further provision

    4. 53.Minor and consequential amendments

    5. 54.Repeals

    6. 55.Commencement

    7. 56.Short title

  6. SCHEDULES

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      THE LEGAL SERVICES OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONER FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

      1. Status

        1. 1.(1) The person for the time being holding the office...

      2. General powers

        1. 2.(1) The Commissioner may do anything, apart from borrowing money,...

      3. Tenure of office

        1. 3.(1) Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, a person...

      4. Acting Commissioner

        1. 4.(1) The Department may appoint a person to exercise the...

      5. Salary, etc.

        1. 5.(1) The Department may pay to or in respect of...

      6. Staff

        1. 6.(1) The Commissioner may appoint such number of officers as...

        2. 7.The Commissioner may make arrangements for securing the provision to...

        3. 8.The Commissioner may, with the approval of the Department, engage...

      7. Exercise of functions of Commissioner

        1. 9.Any function of the Commissioner may be exercised by any...

      8. Seal

        1. 10.The application of the seal of the Commissioner shall be...

      9. Evidence

        1. 11.A document purporting to be an instrument issued by the...

      10. Property

        1. 12.(1) Any real or personal property vested in the Commissioner...

      11. Accounts

        1. 13.(1) The Commissioner must— (a) keep proper accounts and proper...

      12. Annual report

        1. 14.(1) As soon as practicable after the end of each...

      13. The Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 25)

        1. 15.In Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland...

      14. The Commissioner for Complaints (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (NI 7)

        1. 16.In Schedule 2 to the Commissioner for Complaints (Northern Ireland)...

      15. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36)

        1. 17.In Part 7 of Schedule 1 to the Freedom of...

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      THE BAR COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE

      1. Membership

        1. 1.The Bar Complaints Committee is to consist of the following...

        2. 2.The Benchers must consult the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner about...

        3. 3.The Benchers must consult the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner before...

        4. 4.(1) In appointing members of the Bar Complaints Committee, the...

      2. Terms of office

        1. 5.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, a member...

      3. Remuneration, etc. of members

        1. 6.(1) The Benchers must make arrangements for the payment to...

      4. Arrangements for assistance

        1. 7.(1) The Bar Complaints Committee may make arrangements with such...

      5. Sub-committees

        1. 8.(1) The Bar Complaints Committee may establish sub-committees.

      6. Proceedings

        1. 9.Subject to the provisions of this Schedule and Part 2...

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      THE SOLICITORS COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE

      1. Membership

        1. 1.The Solicitors Complaints Committee is to consist of the following...

        2. 2.The Law Society must consult the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner...

        3. 3.The Law Society must consult the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner...

        4. 4.(1) In appointing members of the Solicitors Complaints Committee, the...

      2. Terms of office

        1. 5.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, a member...

      3. Remuneration, etc. of members

        1. 6.(1) The Law Society shall pay to the members of...

      4. Arrangements for assistance

        1. 7.(1) The Solicitors Complaints Committee may make arrangements with such...

      5. Sub-committees

        1. 8.(1) The Solicitors Complaints Committee may establish sub-committees.

      6. Proceedings

        1. 9.Subject to the provisions of this Schedule and Part 3...

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      MINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

      1. The Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 25)

        1. 1.In Schedule 1, in Part 3, omit the entry relating...

      2. The Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 (NI 12)

        1. 2.(1) In Article 3(2) (interpretation), at the appropriate place insert—...

      3. The Solicitors (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (NI 14)

        1. 3.In Article 16 (solicitors’ discipline), omit paragraph (1).

        2. 4.Omit Article 17 (lay observers).

      4. The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (c. 33)

        1. 5.In section 86 (designated professional bodies), in subsection (4)(d) for...

        2. 6.In Schedule 5 (Immigration Services Commissioner) in paragraph 4(2)(d) for...

      5. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36)

        1. 7.In Schedule 1 (public bodies and offices: Northern Ireland), in...

    5. SCHEDULE 5

      REPEALS