Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2016/14/notes/division/4
Timestamp: 2020-07-03 23:59:23
Document Index: 108363856

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Section 6: The levy: supplementary provisions
Section 6 sets out conditions relating to the levy, which will be supplemented by regulations relating to the rate and when the levy is payable.
Section 9: Lay Observer
Section 9 abolishes the office of Lay Observer for Northern Ireland and repeals Article 42 of the Solicitors (NI) Order 1976. It also transfers the existing powers of the Lay Observer to the LSOC where the Lay Observer has not concluded an examination of an allegation made before the abolition of the post, and saves the provisions of the Order for this purpose.
Section 10: Interpretation of Part 1
Section 10 defines certain terms used in Part 1 of the Act.
Section 14: Excluded complaints
Section 14 provides that a complaint does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Bar Complaints Committee unless the complainant has first used the respondent’s in-house complaints procedure (as defined in subsection (2)).
Section 20: Alteration of compensation limit
Subsections (1) and (2) provide that the Department may amend the figures of £5000 in section 19 in accordance with a recommendation made by an interested body. Such an order will be subject to negative resolution.
Section 21 compels the Department to make regulations providing for appeals to the High Court against specified determinations of the Bar Complaints Committee. Such regulations must be agreed by the Lord Chief Justice and must be laid before and approved by resolution of the Assembly.
Section 23: Reporting failures to provide information or produce documents
Section 23 provides that where the Bar Complaints Committee considers that a barrister has failed to co-operate with it as required by section 22, the Committee can notify the General Council of the Bar, which can be required to report to the Committee what action it takes (and may do so even if the complaint is subsequently withdrawn).
Section 24 applies if a party, other than the barrister, has failed to co-operate with the Bar Complaints Committee as required by section 22. In such a case, the Committee may inform the court (which in this case means the High Court by virtue of subsection (7)) of the person’s failure to comply with the request for information.
However, by virtue of subsections (5) and (6), where the defaulter is a barrister, the Committee must first be satisfied that the General Council of the Bar to which a report was made under section 23 has been given a reasonable opportunity to take action, and that the defaulter has continued to be in default.
Section 25: Reports of investigations
Section 25 provides that the Bar Complaints Committee may publish a report about the investigation, consideration and determination of any particular case if it considers it appropriate. Under subsection (2) the report may not contain the complainant’s name or any other identifying information, unless the complainant consents to the inclusion of that information.
Section 26: Protection from defamation claims
Section 26 makes provision placing Bar Complaints Committee proceedings and publications on a par with court proceedings for the purposes of the law of defamation.
Section 27: Consultation requirements for Bar Complaints Committee rules
Section 27 requires the Bar Complaints Committee to publish a draft of any rules it proposes to make, to take account of any representations made to it, to consult with the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner before making rules, and to publish the rules. The Committee may make a reasonable charge for supplying persons with a copy of draft rules or published rules.
Section 28: Interpretation of Part 2
Section 28 defines certain terms used in Part 2 of the Act.
Section 30: Solicitors Complaints Committee
Section 30 provides that the Law Society must establish and maintain a Solicitors Complaints Committee to deal with any complaint made in relation to the professional services provided by a solicitor. A complaint may be about something the solicitor has done, or has not done, but should have done. Article 73A of the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, which sets conditions relating to committees of the Law Society, including voting conditions, is disapplied in relation to the Solicitors Complaints Committee.
Section 31: Jurisdiction of the Solicitors Complaints Committee
Section 31 broadly defines what types of person are eligible to bring complaints to the Solicitors Complaints Committee and who may be the subject of a complaint. In relation to a solicitor, the respondent may also be, where appropriate, his or her firm.
Subsection (1) provides that a complaint will fall within the jurisdiction of the complaints committee if it is not excluded under section 31 (because the respondent’s in-house complaints procedures have not been used) or if the complainant falls within section 32 and wishes to have the complaint dealt with by the Complaints Committee.
Section 32: Excluded complaints
Section 33: Complainants
Section 33 sets out further conditions as to the eligibility of a complainant to have a complaint handled by the Solicitors Complaints Committee. The scheme is designed in the first instance for use by individual complainants (and the provisions of the Interpretation Act (NI) 1954 would extend this to include individuals) although the relevant stakeholders can examine further classes of complainant and recommend those groups are included in the scheme. Subsection (2)(b) provides scope for the Department to include in the future additional classes of complainant, based on recommendations by the Complaints Committee and/or the LSOC.
Section 36: Procedure for complaints
Section 36 provides for the detailed framework for the Solicitors Complaints Committee scheme to be determined by rules to be made by the Committee. It allows the Committee the flexibility to adapt its procedures if required.
Subsection (1) provides that the rules made by the Committee under this section will determine how complaints are to be made and how they are to be investigated, considered and determined by the Committee. Procedures for making rules, including requirements as to prior consultation, are set out in section 46.
Subsection (4) lists areas in which the Committee may wish to make rules. This list is intended to be indicative, and does not limit the breadth of the Committee’s power to make rules in other areas or to require it to make rules in the areas specified. Complaints may be more appropriately dealt with by another person or body where this is considered necessary under subsection (4)(b) examples of which may be that the complaint raises issues of professional misconduct that may be more appropriately addressed by the disciplinary processes of the Law Society, or where the complaint raises issues that may be criminal in nature, and a referral to the PSNI may be appropriate. Subsections 4(e) and (f) set out the circumstances where costs and expenses can be awarded in relation to hearings of the Complaints Committee. It is intended that making a complaint itself should be free, but the Committee will have the power to award costs against the complainant where they have acted in so unreasonably that it would be appropriate to do so. This provision should not deter genuine complainants.
Section 37: Notification requirements
Section 38: Determination of complaints
Section 38 makes provision for the Solicitors Complaints Committee powers in making a determination.
Section 39: Alteration of compensation limits
Section 40: Appeals
Section 40 compels the Department to make regulations providing for appeals to the High Court against specified determinations of the Solicitors Complaints Committee. Such regulations must be agreed by the Lord Chief Justice and must be laid before and approved by resolution of the Assembly.
Section 41: Information and documents
Section 41 empowers the Solicitors Complaints Committee to require such information and/or documents from parties to a complaint as the Committee may specify before the end of such period (and it must be a reasonable period) as the Committee may specify, and in such manner of form as the Committee may specify.
Section 42: Reporting failures to provide information or produce documents
Section 42 provides that where the Solicitors Complaints Committee considers that a solicitor has failed to co-operate with it as required by section 42, the Committee can notify the Law Society, which can be required to report to the Committee what action it takes (and may do so even if the complaint is subsequently withdrawn).
Section 44: Reports of investigations
Section 44 provides that the Solicitors Complaints Committee may publish a report about the investigation, consideration and determination of any particular case if it considers it appropriate. Under subsection (2) the report may not contain the complainant’s name or any other identifying information, unless the complainant consents to the inclusion of that information.
Section 45: Protection from defamation claims
Section 45 makes provision placing Solicitors Complaints Committee proceedings and publications on a par with court proceedings for the purposes of the law of defamation.
Section 48: Recognised bodies
Section 48 provides that a number of references to recognised bodies in the Chapter relating to complaints procedures of solicitors are references to bodies corporate under Article 26A of the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.
Section 49: Interpretation of Part 3
Section 49 defines certain terms used in part 3 of the draft Act.
Section 50: Interpretation
Section 50 defines certain terms used throughout the Act.
Section 51: Review
Section 51 provides that the Department must, within 3 years of the commencement of the Act, appoint an independent person to review and publish a report on the implementation of the Act. The Department must set out the terms of the review by way of order, subject to negative resolution.
Section 54: Repeals
Section 54 introduces Schedule 5 which contains repeals of other legislation in consequence of the provisions of the Act.
Section 55: Commencement
Section 55 outlines the commencement provisions relating to the Act.
Section 56: Short title
Section 56 provides that the short title for the legislation.
Paragraphs 1-4 of Schedule 2 requires the Complaints Committee to be chaired by a lay person and to consist of a majority of lay persons, appointed by the Law Society, after consultation with the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner on the manner of the appointments, and after consultation with the Commissioner on the making of the appointments. No members of the Law Society Council may sit on the Complaints Committee.
Schedule 4 contains amendments to other statutory provisions consequential upon the Act.