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Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Consolidated Text As Enacted Cited authorities 7 Cited in Amendments 13 Related
Vincent
JurisdictionNorthern Ireland
(1) There is to be an officer known as the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland.(2) The Commissioner must be appointed by the Department of Finance and Personnel.(3) The Department of Finance and Personnel must consult the Lord Chief Justice before appointing the Commissioner.(4) The Commissioner must not be, and must never have been, a solicitor or barrister.(5) Schedule 1 has effect in relation to the Commissioner.require a professional body to provide information to, or make reports to, the Commissioner about the handling of complaints about its members;require a professional body to provide the Commissioner with such information in relation to the number of complaints made against the members of that body as the Commissioner may specify;investigate the manner in which complaints about the members of a professional body are handled by that body;the Bar Complaints Committee;the Solicitors Complaints Committee;set targets in relation to the handling of complaints about the members of a professional body;make recommendations in relation to the handling of complaints about the members of a professional body;require a professional body to submit to the Commissioner a plan for the handling of complaints about its members; anddo any other thing which the Commissioner has power to do by virtue of this Act or any other statutory provision.(2) For the purposes of an investigation under subsection (1) (c) , the Commissioner shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to all such documents as the Commissioner may reasonably require for carrying out the investigation.(3) Subsection (2) only applies to documents in the custody of or under the control of the professional body to which the investigation relates.fails to submit a plan which the Commissioner considers adequate for securing that such complaints are handled effectively and efficiently; orsubmits such a plan but fails to handle complaints in accordance with it,(5) Before requiring a professional body to pay a penalty under subsection (4) the Commissioner must consult with the body and afford it a reasonable opportunity of appearing before the Commissioner to make representations.

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