There may be a reason for the Legal Services Ombudsman, Zahida Manzoor, to feel progress is being made on complaints (see [2005] Gazette, 14 July, 3) - there is always a threat that she will say our progress on complaints is not good and impose a large fine.

The Law Society's complaints regime has a difficult task and this would not appear to come across. Solicitors are reasonably intelligent people and when they become dishonest or devious, they are almost impossible to handle. Therefore, the success rate by the complaints-handling staff is hard earned.


We as a Law Society are prepared to deal with complaints and at our cost. Why do we have the threat of a fine for poor performance? What would happen if we turned around and said we do not wish to handle complaints any longer?


If the Law Society is prepared to help in dealing with complaints, it should not have any threat from a government department of a fine for poor performance.


Victor Horsfall-Turner, Druitts, Bournemouth