Stage 1: Resolution Stage

The Service Complaints Process

Please refer to the Detailed Guidance on the Service Complaints process and our Complaint Handling Plan

Once a completed complaints form is received, the Complaints Officer will check that it meets the eligibility criteria.

Eligible complaints will be passed to the Service Complaints Resolution Committee (the ‘SCRC’).

This Committee aims to resolve eligible complaints. You will therefore be asked to describe your reasonable suggestion as to how a resolution to your complaint can be achieved.

Whether or not your complaint meets the criteria, the Complaints Officer will write to you to keep you informed and if necessary, request more information or explain the reasons why a complaint cannot be accepted by the SCRC.

We may feel that your complaint either relates exclusively to a conduct issue or has elements of a conduct complaint rather than relating exclusively to the service provided by a barrister. If that is the case we will write to explain why and how your complaint will now progress. Some complaints are treated as hybrid complaints and are investigated by both Complaints Committees. More information on Hybrid Complaints can be found below.

How We Will Try to Resolve a Complaint

An eligible complaint made in a completed proforma will be discussed by the SCRC. The SCRC is made up of one lay member and two practising barristers.

In deciding any recommendations for a resolution the SCRC will take into account:
In order to achieve a resolution both you and the barrister will be required to cooperate with the process.

• the resolution you are seeking
• any comments or views expressed by the barrister in relation to the resolution sought
• whether the SCRC considers the resolution sought to be reasonable and appropriate
• whether a mediation process would be an appropriate means of resolution. If this is the case the SCRC will facilitate a timely mediation process taking place

Timeframe

The SCRC Procedure will be progressed as quickly as possible.

Once the Committee has reached a conclusion, we will write to you and keep you informed. If no resolution has been achieved and/or you are dissatisfied with the Committee’s conclusion, you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Bar Complaints Committee, an independent statutory committee established under the Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 to investigate, consider and determine service complaints about barristers.

Information on Stage 2 of the resolution process can be found in our detailed guidance.

If you have any questions about this process, you can contact the Complaints Officer.

Please refer to the Detailed Guidance on the Service Complaints process and our Complaint Handling Plan