A complaint can be about a lawyer’s conduct, or the fees charged.
A complaint will usually be made by the lawyer's client, but it can also be made by a third party who is otherwise impacted by the lawyer's conduct or fees, or by another lawyer.
The Commissioner recives approximately 350 complaints per year. Not all complaints will result in investigations.
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Complaints cover a wide range of conduct. As a consequence, the investigation process needs to be flexible.
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The Commissioner has power to take a broad range of disciplinary action directly, or to lay charges in the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal or the Supreme Court.
Whether legal professional privilege applies will depend upon the nature of the investigation. There are statutory provisions which might require production in spite of legal professional privilege.