❓ A member of parliament is seeking information from the Attorney General regarding the Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee, including its constitution, complaint procedures, complaint statistics, and public access to findings.
AnsweredQoN 868Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
With reference to the Western Australian Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee, can the Minister please advise -
(1) How is the committee constituted?
(2) How does a member of the public make a complaint about the Committee’s information process?
(3) How many complaints has the Committee heard in the year finishing 31 December 2005?
(4) How many complaints did the Committee hear each year for the previous five years?
(5) How does a member of the public find out the results of the Committee in terms of findings, results, recommendations etc?
(1) How is the committee constituted?
(2) How does a member of the public make a complaint about the Committee’s information process?
(3) How many complaints has the Committee heard in the year finishing 31 December 2005?
(4) How many complaints did the Committee hear each year for the previous five years?
(5) How does a member of the public find out the results of the Committee in terms of findings, results, recommendations etc?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
3 May 2006
Response time
21 days
(a) a Chairperson and not less than 6 other legal practitioners appointed by the Legal Practice Board from amongst its members; and (b) not less than 2 community representatives appointed by the Attorney General after consultation with the Minister responsible for Consumer Affairs, none of whom is to be a person who is or has been a legal practitioner. (2) Provision 14 of Division 2 of Schedule 2 of the Legal Practice Act 2003 provides that subject to the Act and Rules, the Committee may determine its own procedures. Accordingly, if a member of the public has a complaint about the Committee's information process or its procedures it is open to that person to make their complaint in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee. The complaint would be enquired into and a response provided to the complainant. Alternatively, if the complainant prefers to make that complaint to an external agency, such a complaint can be made to the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Ombudsman. (3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(b) not less than 2 community representatives appointed by the Attorney General after consultation with the Minister responsible for Consumer Affairs, none of whom is to be a person who is or has been a legal practitioner. (2) Provision 14 of Division 2 of Schedule 2 of the Legal Practice Act 2003 provides that subject to the Act and Rules, the Committee may determine its own procedures. Accordingly, if a member of the public has a complaint about the Committee's information process or its procedures it is open to that person to make their complaint in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee. The complaint would be enquired into and a response provided to the complainant. Alternatively, if the complainant prefers to make that complaint to an external agency, such a complaint can be made to the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Ombudsman. (3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(2) Provision 14 of Division 2 of Schedule 2 of the Legal Practice Act 2003 provides that subject to the Act and Rules, the Committee may determine its own procedures. Accordingly, if a member of the public has a complaint about the Committee's information process or its procedures it is open to that person to make their complaint in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee. The complaint would be enquired into and a response provided to the complainant. Alternatively, if the complainant prefers to make that complaint to an external agency, such a complaint can be made to the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Ombudsman. (3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(b) not less than 2 community representatives appointed by the Attorney General after consultation with the Minister responsible for Consumer Affairs, none of whom is to be a person who is or has been a legal practitioner. (2) Provision 14 of Division 2 of Schedule 2 of the Legal Practice Act 2003 provides that subject to the Act and Rules, the Committee may determine its own procedures. Accordingly, if a member of the public has a complaint about the Committee's information process or its procedures it is open to that person to make their complaint in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee. The complaint would be enquired into and a response provided to the complainant. Alternatively, if the complainant prefers to make that complaint to an external agency, such a complaint can be made to the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Ombudsman. (3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(2) Provision 14 of Division 2 of Schedule 2 of the Legal Practice Act 2003 provides that subject to the Act and Rules, the Committee may determine its own procedures. Accordingly, if a member of the public has a complaint about the Committee's information process or its procedures it is open to that person to make their complaint in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee. The complaint would be enquired into and a response provided to the complainant. Alternatively, if the complainant prefers to make that complaint to an external agency, such a complaint can be made to the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Ombudsman. (3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(3) The Committee formally considered approximately 305 complaints and conduct enquiries in the year finishing 31 December 2005. Information about the Committee is available in its Annual Report tabled in Parliament each year. The most recent report is in respect of the year ended 30 June 2005. The report states that the Committee formally considered 273 complaints and other conduct enquiries during the period under review. (4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(4) The table below indicates the number of complaints formally considered and enquiries conducted for the years ending 30 June 2000 to 30 June 2004. The Committee formally considered the following number of complaints and conducted enquiries: Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Complaints 231 276 243 236 220 (5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
(5) Generally speaking, only parties to a complaint are advised in writing of the Committee's determination. However, if the Committee determines that a matter of complaint should be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, those proceedings are held in open court and the Tribunal publishes its decisions on its website. General information on the Committee is provided in the Committee's Annual Reports.
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