The
Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO) published its annual report
this week. The LSO investigates complaints referred from
the legal regulatory bodies - solicitors, conveyancers,
legal executives, barristers and patent agents. A summary
of the referrals received by the LSO reveals that only 57%
of the complaints that were initially dealt with by the
Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) were handled
satisfactorily. This is very low compared to the 94% satisfactory
rate from the General Council of the Bar. The ombudsman,
Ann Abraham, has warned the OSS that it must rapidly improve
its complaints handling and redress system, if it wants
to fulfil its aim as the profession's regulator.
Comment: The ombudsman also added that the OSS had
succesfully achieved its targets, set by the Lord Chancellor,
to reduce the backlog of cases. She suggests this may go
some way to explain the low percentage (57) of complaints
that the LSO felt the OSS had dealt with appropriately.
The real issue that the ombudsmen has raised is that of
self regulation of the legal profession. Self-regulation
has been integral to the status of the profession.
