Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman
Independent and impartial
The Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman is appointed by Scottish Ministers after public advertisement and independent selection. The current Ombudsman is Mrs. Jane Irvine.
The Ombudsman is independent from the legal professions. She is also independent from Government, and the Ombudsman’s findings and recommendations are not reviewed by Scottish Ministers or the Scottish Government.
The Ombudsman’s office is at:
Address: 17 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3DL
Tel: 0131 556 9123
Fax: 0131 556 9292
Email: ombudsman[at]slso[dot]org[dot]uk (replace [at] with @ and [dot] with .)
The Ombudsman’s duties are set by Parliament and Scottish Ministers. The Ombudsman’s job is to look into complaints about the way a professional body (The Law Society of Scotland or The Faculty of Advocates) has handled a complaint against a practitioner. The Ombudsman decides
- if the professional body has given each complaint proper attention;
- if it has taken appropriate action on the basis of a fair and thorough examination of all the evidence;
- if it has acted reasonably, impartially and effectively.
You will find detailed information on this site about
- the scope of the Ombudsman’s powers;
- the way in which she investigates complaints;
- the steps you need to take if you wish to make a complaint against a professional body.
The Ombudsman’s information leaflet is available in Urdu, Cantonese and Punjabi — you can ask for a copy by phone, by email or by calling into the Office. We can also send letters, Opinions or the leaflet in LARGE PRINT. If you have difficulty reading or viewing this web site, you may find the site help and accessibility information useful.
If you wish to make a complaint about a practitioner rather than about the way a professional body has handled a complaint, please contact the appropriate professional body.
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
It is expected that a new body, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC), will come into operation from mid–late 2008. In the meantime, the Ombudsman, the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates will continue to operate under the current complaints framework. You can find out more in these frequently asked questions about the SLCC.
Press release: Scottish Legal Complaints Commission New Chief Executive
The Law Society of Scotland’s Survey on Standards
The Law Society of Scotland is reviewing standards for Scottish solicitors. Having clear and understandable standards is good for both solicitors and clients. It lets the client know what standards to expect and lets the profession know what is expected of them.
There are standards of service, which are about the service provided by a solicitor and/or the solicitor firm and there are standards of conduct, which are about the behaviour of individual solicitors. The aim is to have one set of standards that is clear and open to all.
Filling in the Society’s on-line questionnaire will give you the opportunity to have your say on standards for the solicitor profession. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete; please follow the link below to the questionnaire:
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Source: http://www.slso.org.uk/