Complaints
Approved regulators must operate a complaints system as part of their internal regulatory arrangements (s. 112). Section 114 of the Act creates an Office for Legal Complaints which the Section 115 of the Legal Services Act stipulates must administer an ombudsman scheme (ss. 114-158 /Sch. 15). The offices of Legal Services Complaints Commissioner (OLSCC) and Legal Services Ombudsman (OLSO), which were introduced in the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 are abolished under the Act (s. 159). The Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner (OLSCC) closed on 31 March 2010. The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman closed in 2011.
For the purposes of complaints only, claims management services are regarded as reserved legal activities and the Claims Management Services Regulator as an approved regulator (s. 161).
Section 114 came into force on 7 March 2008. The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) launched on Friday 24th July 2009. On 3 February 2009, the Legal Services Board announced the OLC Board members. On 29 September 2009 it was announced that the Ombudsman would be based in Birmingham, England. That December, it was confirmed that the name Legal Ombudsman had been chosen for the new scheme. On Wednesday 6th October 2010 the Legal Ombudsman began receiving complaints.
Read more about this topic: Legal Services Act 2007
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