Complaint form

Complaints form

Please read the guidance notes before filling in this form. Please fill in this form in black or dark blue ink, and in BLOCK CAPITALS or typescript. Do not write on the back of the form or the back of any extra sheets. We can help if you need information in a different format (for example, large print). If you have any special needs, please phone us on 020 7611 1444.

Section 1 - Personal details

1 Your name

Mrs

Miss

Other (please tell us)

First name

Surname

Address

(including

postcode)

Phone number	Work		Home
	Mobile		E-mail address

Which number would you prefer us to use?

Work

Home

Do you have an answerphone?

Yes

2 Are you complaining on behalf of somebody else?

Please go to question 3 in section 2

Yes

Please fill in this section.

Name of the person you are complaining for

Mrs

Miss

Other (please tell us)

First name

Surname

Address

(including

postcode)

When we deal with this complaint, who should we write to?	Me

	The person who I am complaining for

Has the person you are complaining for given	Yes
you permission to complain?	No
(Please send us the letter giving you permission.)

Section 2 - The barrister’s details

3 Name of the barrister you want to complain about

First name or names

Surname

Chamber’s address (if you know it)

Was the barrister acting:	for you or the person you are complaining for?
	for the other side in the case?
	as their own representative?
	for somebody else (please tell us who)?

Section 3 - Details of your complaint

4 Is your complaint about:	the barrister's work in a court case?	Please go to question 5.
	other legal work done by the barrister?	Please go to question 8.
	the barrister’s behaviour outside professional work?	Please go to question 9.

5 If the case was heard at court, please give us:

	the name of the case
	the court in which it was heard
	the case number
	the date of the relevant hearing

6a Is the case continuing?	Yes
	No

6b Is the barrister still instructed in the case?	Yes
	No

7 Are you waiting for the results of an appeal?	Yes
	No

Please give details of the appeal, including the dates of any hearings (if you know them).

8 Did you instruct the barrister yourself or through a solicitor or other representative?

Yourself	Yes	No	(If ‘Yes’, go to question 9.)

Solicitor	Yes	No	(If ‘Yes’, go to question 10.)

Other representative	Yes	No	(If ‘Yes’, go to question 11.)

9 If you instructed your barrister yourself, did you do so under:

The Public Access scheme	Yes	No

The Liscenced Access scheme	Yes	No

10a Solicitors instructing the barrister

Name of firm

Address of firm

Name of the person dealing with the matter

Solicitors' reference

Are the solicitors still acting in the matter?

Yes

10b Have you also made a complaint against the solicitor?	Yes	No
If so, can we contact the Legal Complaints Service for	Yes	No
details to help with our investigation?
Do you have a complaint reference number?	Number

11 Other representative instructing the barrister

Name of firm or individual

Name of person dealing with the matter

Reference number

Is this person still acting in the matter?	Yes	No

Can we contact the firm?	Yes	No

12 Have you raised this complaint with:	the barrister concerned?	Yes		No
	your solicitor? orepresentative?	Yes		No

If you have raised the complaint with the barrister, his or her chambers, the solicitor, or your representative, please tell us what the result was.

If you have not done so, please say why.

13 When did the action which you are complaining about

take place?

If this is more than six months ago, please say why there has been a delay in making the complaint.

14 Please set out briefly your complaint against the barrister. You should read the

guidance notes before filling in this section.

- 6 -

- 6 -

15 Please say how you would like this complaint to be resolved.

Explanation or apology (or both)			Refund of fees
Compensation			Disciplinary action
Other (please tell us)

16 Have you suffered any financial loss as a result of the action you are complaining about?	Yes
	No

If ‘Yes’, please set out the cause of the loss and the amount. Note: This question will help us to assess how serious the complaint is. It does not mean that we will have the power to compensate your loss. Please see the guidance notes.

Section 4 - Other information

17 Please give us the names and addresses of any other people who you believe may be able to help us investigate the complaint.

18 Are you enclosing extra sheets of paper?	No
	Yes		How many?

19 Have you enclosed any copies of other documents?	Yes
(Please do not send original documents.)	No

If ‘Yes’, please list the documents you have enclosed.

20 Have you written to us about this matter before?		No
		Yes
	If ‘Yes’, please give the date of your letter.

21 Have you complained to us before about any other		No
matter?		Yes
	If ‘Yes’, please give our reference number (if you know it).

When you have filled in this form please sign and date it. Then send it to:

Complaints Team

Bar Standards Board

289 - 293 High Holborn

London WC1V 7HZ

Signature: ___________________________________ Date: ________________

January 2008