Complaints Policy

My aim is to give you a good service at all times however if you have a complaint you are invited to let either my chambers, Clerksroom, or me know as soon as possible. It is not necessary to involve solicitors in order to make your complaint but you are free to do so should you wish. The complaints policy of Clerksroom is set out at here – https://www.clerksroom.com/content-html?cid=416

Your complaint should be made to either Clerksroom or myself within three months of the completion of the work to which the complaint relates.

You may make the complaint direct to Clerksroom in accordance with the chamber’s policy or to me, Christopher Cant, in writing, detailing the nature of the complaint and what you feel should be done about it. Both Clerksroom and I will deal with your complaint promptly, courteously and hopefully it should be resolved to your satisfaction. If you make it to me and I consider it appropriate I will refer it to Clerksroom.

In order to comply with requests from the Bar Standards Board in the exercise of its monitoring and or auditing functions all communications and documents relating to complaints will be kept confidential and disclosed only where legally required or so far as is reasonably necessary for the investigation and resolution. Records are kept for six years of each complaint, all steps taken in response to it and the outcome of the complaint, and copies of all relevant documentation including letters and emails correspondence.

If after following the complaints procedure above you are not content, you are within your rights to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.

Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman

Having raised your complaint with Clerksroom or Christopher Cant directly, if you are still not happy with the response, then you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

Other than in exceptional circumstances, the Legal Ombudsman will only consider your complaint if you have first used the complaints procedure, or a complaint has not been resolved within 8 weeks of your complaint being raised.

You should note that not all clients have the right to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman and those excluded from the scheme include:

  • most businesses (unless they are defined as micro-enterprises)
  • charities or clubs with an annual income of more than £1m
  • trustees of trusts with an asset value of more than £1m.

You must complain to the Legal Ombudsman either within six years of your barrister’s actions/failure to act, or no later than three years after you should reasonably have known there were grounds to complain.

You must also complain to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving your barrister’s final response to your complaint.

You can contact the Legal Ombudsman using the following details:

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Decisions made by the Legal Ombudsman within the last twelve months, about legal service providers, can be accessed at: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/raising-standards/data-and-decisions