Skip to Navigation | Skip to Help

About the Ombudsman

General Directions by the Secretary of State

In exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 34 of and paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 to the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990, The Secretary of State hereby gives the following general directions to the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman.

  1. These Directions may be cited as “The Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman General Directions 1993” and shall come into force on 1 April 1993.
  2. In these Directions:-
    “the Act” means the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 and expressions used in the Directions have the same meaning as they have in Sections 33 and 34 of the Act.
  3. Subject to paragraphs 4 and 5 below, the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman shall examine every handling complaint which is notified to him within 6 months of the date on which the professional organisation concerned sent its written decision on its investigations to the complainer and practitioner concerned and the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman shall not examine any handling complaint which is notified outwith that time limit.
  4. Nothing in paragraph 3 is intended to imply that the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman can examine a handling complaint about a conduct complaint made to the professional organisation concerned before 3 June 1991.
  5. The Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman shall not re-examine a handling complaint, or examine a fresh complaint relating to the same handling complaint, unless he is satisfied that there is further evidence relating to the matter which could not reasonably have been presented to him during his examination of the original handling complaint.
  6. In making any Annual Report to The Secretary of State referred to in paragraph 9 of Schedule 3 to the Act and in making any other report to The Secretary of State, the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman shall not identify in the report any complainer or practitioner or any other individual, company or firm.
  7. The General Directions issued by The Secretary of State to the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman on 16 May 1992 are hereby revoked.

Source: http://www.slso.org.uk/directions.shtml