Complaints Performance Improving Steadily, says Law Society Chief Executive

7 November 2007

Responding to the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner Zahida Manzoor’s decision not to fine the Society in relation to the Legal Complaints Service's performance in 2006-07, Law Society Chief Executive Desmond Hudson said:

“The Law Society welcomes the LSCC's decision not to fine the Society in respect of the Legal Complaints Service's performance in 2006-07. The continued improvement achieved by the LCS provides consumers with a faster and better service than ever before and which compares favourably with other complaints handlers.  We strongly supported measures in the Legal Services Act to establish a new body for dealing with all consumer complaints about lawyers that will be wholly separate from all the professional bodies.  We are committed to ensuring that our Legal Complaints Service continues to improve its performance year on year so that it can hand over to the new body (the Office for Legal Complaints) a service of which the profession can be proud."

Professor Shamit Saggar, Chair of the Board of the Legal Complaints Service, said: "I welcome this decision.  We are very proud of the turnaround in our performance which has been driven by a Board that has a clear consumer focus.  We now have an excellent platform from which to deliver a modern 21st century consumer redress organisation which has the full confidence of both consumers and the profession."