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Zahida Manzoor CBE, the Legal Services Ombudsman, has commented on the first steps towards the implementation of the Legal Services Act in her annual report and accounts.

The Act creates two new bodies, the Legal Services Board and the Office for Legal Complaints. The Act requires the current legal professional bodies to separate their functions as both regulator and representative of their professions and will see the removal of complaint handling from them. The LSB will have oversight of the approved regulators who will have responsibility for the regulation of legal professionals’ professional conduct. The LSB will also have responsibility for the new complaints-handling body, the OLC.

The Ombudsman commented:

'The creation of an independent complaint-handling body is something I have been advocating for many years. It is only right that in the future the legal professional bodies will not undertake the investigation of consumer complaints about their members.'

The Ombudsman reported that in 2008/2009 her Office has again performed to a very high standard. Of particular note is that her Office’s 2.2 months average turnaround time for investigations significantly exceeds the Office’s government target of completing 90% of investigations within six months.

The Ombudsman was pleased to report that the Bar Standards Board has maintained their high level of performance and continues to improve their complaints and disciplinary processes. She did however note a slight drop in the performance of the Law Society Solicitors Regulation Authority. She was critical of the overall performance of the Law Society Legal Complaints Service, although she did see some welcome improvements in their turnaround times and service delivery.

The Ombudsman commented:

'To enable legal professionals to compete in the present challenging economic climate it is critical that their professional bodies, including their complaints-handling organisations, continue to improve and develop.'

The Ombudsman said that she would be working with all stakeholders to help ensure that there is a smooth transition between the current and future complaint-handling organisations and that there are no gaps in service delivery.

Notes to editors

1. The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman completed 1,817 investigations into complaints between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 and 1,809 new cases were accepted for investigation during that time. The average turnaround time for investigation of complaints by the Ombudsman, from receipt of the professional body’s file, was 2.2 months.
2. The Ombudsman provides an independent check on the complaint-handling activities of the Law Society (the Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority), the General Council of the Bar (the Bar Standards Board), the Institute of Legal Executives, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and the Institute of Trademark Attorneys. The Ombudsman is Ms Zahida Manzoor CBE.
3. The Ombudsman’s services are free of charge.
4. Copies of the Annual Report and Accounts of the Legal Services Ombudsman can be found at the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman website.

Interview requests and further media enquiries should be made via Peter Morris at the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 020 3334