Regulatory Information

Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website:: BSB Search a Barrister's Record.

This shows (1) whether a barrister has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standards Board’s website in accordance with their policy. Alternatively, you can contact the Bar Standards Board on 020 7611 1444 to ask about this (or e-mail ContactUs@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk).

You can also search the decision data on LeO’s website: Legal Ombudsman decision data.

This shows providers which received an ombudsman’s decision in the previous 12 months, and whether LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy. Alternatively, you can contact LeO on 0300 555 0333 to ask about this (or e-mail enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk)

Complaints Procedure

  1. Our aim is to give you a good service at all times.  However, if you have a complaint you are invited to let us know as soon as possible.  It is not necessary to involve solicitors in order to make your complaint but you are free to do so should you wish.
  2. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for service complaints about lawyers, has time limits in which a complaint must be raised with them.  The time limits are:
    • six years from the date of the act or omission
    • three years from the date that the complainant should reasonably have known there were grounds for complaint (if the act/omission took place before the 6 October 2010 or was more than six years ago)
    • within six months of the complaint receiving a final response from their lawyer, if that response complies with the requirements in rule 4.4 of the Scheme Rules (which requires the response to include prominently an explanation that the Legal Ombudsman was available if the complainant remained dissatisfied and the provision of full contact details for the Ombudsman and a warning that the complaint must be referred to them within six months)
  3. The Ombudsman can extend the time limit in exceptional circumstances.  Chambers must therefore have regard to that timeframe when deciding whether they are able to investigate your complaint.  Chambers will not therefore usually deal with complaints that fall outside of the Legal Ombudsman’s time limits.
  4. The Ombudsman will also only deal with complaints from consumers.  This means that only complaints from the barrister’s client are within their jurisdiction.  Non-clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of the Chambers’ investigation should contact the Bar Standards Board rather than the Legal Ombudsman.
  5. It should be noted that it may not always be possible to investigate a complaint brought by a non-client.  This is because the ability of Chambers to satisfactorily investigate and resolve such matters is limited and complaints of this nature are often better suited to the disciplinary processes maintained by the Bar Standards Board.  Therefore, Chambers will make an initial assessment of the complaint and it they feel that the issues raised cannot be satisfactorily resolved through the Chambers complaint process they will refer you to the Bar Standards Board.   

Complaints Made by Telephone

  1. You may wish to make a complaint in writing and, if so, please follow the procedure below.  However, if you would rather speak on the telephone about your complaint then please telephone Avril Llewellyn, Chambers Director.  She will make a note of the details of your complaint and what you would like done about it.  She will discuss your concerns with you and aim to resolve them.  If the matter is resolved she will record the outcome, check that you are satisfied with the outcome and record that you are satisfied.  If the complaint is about the Chambers Director, telephone Mr Stephen Rees, Head of Chambers.
  2. If your complaint is not resolved on the telephone you will be invited to write to us about it within the next 14 days so it can be investigated formally.

Complaints Made in Writing

  1. Please give the following details:
    • Your name and address;
    • Which member(s) of Chambers you are complaining about;
    • The detail of the complaint; and
    • What you would like done about it.
  2. ​Please address your letter to Avril Llewellyn, Chambers Director.  We will, where possible, acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two days and provide you with details of how your complaint will be dealt with.
  3. Our Chambers has a panel headed by Mr Stephen Rees, Head of Chambers who considers any written complaint.  Within 14 days of your letter being received Mr Stephen Rees will appoint a member of the panel to investigate it.  If your complaint is against Mr Stephen Rees, the next most senior member of the panel will investigate it.  In any case, the person appointed will be someone other than the person you are complaining about.
  4. The person appointed to investigate will write to you as soon as possible to let you know he has been appointed and that he will reply to your complaint within 14 days.  If he finds later that he is not going to be able to reply within 14 days he will set a new date for his reply and inform you.  His reply will set out:
    • The nature and scope of his investigation;
    • His conclusion on each complaint and the basis for his
    • conclusion; and
    • If he finds that you are justified in your complaint, his proposals
    • for resolving the complaint.

Confidentiality

  1. All conversations and documents relating to the complaint will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed only to the extent that is necessary.  Disclosure will be to the Head of Chambers, members of our Management Committee and to anyone involved in the complaint and its investigation.  Such people will include the barrister member of staff who you have complained about, the head or relevant senior member of the panel and the person who investigates the complaint.  The Bar Standards Board is entitled to inspect the documents and seek information about the complaint when discharging its auditing and monitoring functions.

Our Policy

  1. As part of our commitment to client care we make a written record of any complaint and retain all documents and correspondence generated by the complaint for a period of six years.  Our Management Committee inspects an anonymised record regularly with a view to improving services.

Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman

  1. If you are unhappy with the outcome of our investigation and you fall within their jurisdiction you may take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for complaints about lawyers, at the conclusion of our consideration of your complaint. The Ombudsman is not able to consider your complaint until it has first been investigated by Chambers. Please note the timeframe for referral of complaints to the Ombudsman as set out at paragraph 2 above. You can write to them at:​
    Legal Ombudsman
    PO Box 6806,
    Wolverhampton​
    WV1 9WJ
    Telephone number: 0300 555 0333 Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
     
  2. If you are not the barrister’s client and are unhappy with the outcome of our investigation then please contact the Bar Standards Board at:
    Bar Standards Board
    Professional Conduct Department
    289-293 High Holborn, London​
    WC1V 7JZ 
    Telephone number: 0207 6111 444
    Website: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk