Perceval Chambers
Chambers Complaints Procedure
1. Our aim is to ensure you receive good service at all times. However if you
have a complaint you are invited to let us know as soon as possible. It is not
necessary to involve your solicitor in order to make your complaint but you are
free to do so should you wish.
2. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for
service complaints about lawyers, has a twelve-month time limit from the date
of the act or omission about which you are complaining within which to make
your complaint. Perceval Chambers must therefore have regard to that
timeframe when deciding whether they are able to investigate your complaint.
We will not deal with complaints that fall outside of the twelve month time limit.
Complaints Made by Telephone
3.You may wish to make a complaint in writing and, if so, please follow the
procedure in paragraph 4 and 5 below. However, if you would rather speak on
the telephone about your complaint then call us on the number provided on
our website.
4. The person you contact will make a written note of the details of your
complaint and what you would like done about it. He or she will discuss your
concerns with you and aim to resolve them. If the matter is resolved we will
record the outcome, check that you are satisfied with the outcome and record
that you are satisfied. You may also wish to record the outcome of the
telephone discussion in writing.
If your complaint is not resolved on the telephone you will be invited to write to us
about it within the next 14 days so it can be investigated formally.
Complaints made in Writing
5. Please write to the practice manager or other identified person and give the
following details:
• Your name and address;
• Which member(s) of Chambers or staff you are complaining about;
• The detail of the complaint; and
• What you would like done about it.
Please address your letter to Perceval Chambers and email it to
complaints@percevalchambers.com. We will, where possible, acknowledge
receipt of your complaint within five days and provide you with details of how
your complaint will be dealt with.
6. Within 14 days of your letter being received your complaint will be
investigated. The person or body appointed to deal with your complaint will be
someone other than the person you are complaining about.
7. The person or body appointed to investigate will write to you as soon as
possible to let you know they have been appointed and that you will receive a
reply to your complaint within 14 days. If it is found later that it is not going to
be possible to reply within 14 days, you will be given a new date by which you
should receive a reply. The reply will set out:
• The nature and scope of the investigation;
• A conclusion on each complaint and the basis for reaching that
conclusion; and
• If it is found that you are justified in your complaint, our proposals for
resolving the complaint.
Confidentiality
8. All conversations and documents relating to the complaint will be treated as
confidential and will be disclosed only to the extent that is necessary.
Disclosure may be to the management and to anyone involved in the
complaint and its investigation. Such persons will include the barrister or staff
member who you have complained about, management or the relevant senior
member of chambers and the person or body who investigated the complaint.
The Bar Standards Board is entitled to inspect the documents and seek
information about the complaint when discharging its auditing and monitoring
functions.
Our Policy
9. As part of our commitment to client care we make a written record of any
complaint and retain all documents and correspondence generated by the
complaint for a period of six years. Our management inspects an
anonymised record regularly with a view to improving services.
Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman
10. If you are unhappy with the outcome of our investigation you may take up your
complaint with the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for
complaints about lawyers, at the conclusion of our consideration of your
complaint. The Ombudsman is not able to consider your complaint until it has
first been investigated by Chambers. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman
has a twelve-month time limit from the date of the act or omission about which
you are complaining within which to make your complaint.
You can write to
them at:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 15870,
Birmingham
B30 9EB
Telephone number: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk