Complaints against barristers soared by more than 30% last year, the Bar Council's outgoing lay commissioner revealed last week in his final report.

The total rose from 667 in 2004 to 877 last year - an increase of 32% - with the number of lay complaints up by 11% from 457 to 509.


In the main, the lay complaints stemmed from prisoners and family and civil litigants. Public access featured for the first time this year, but the floodgate anticipated by some did not happen - it accounted for only seven complaints.


Much of the rise was caused by a clampdown by the council on barristers who failed to complete the required continuing professional development hours or to acquire a practising certificate. It made 317 complaints - more than double the number in 2004.


Michael Scott, who was making his ninth report as lay commissioner, insisted that the bar's record of handling complaints had been exemplary. He said: 'I am sorry that Sir David Clementi's proposals will erode this quality and am saddened that the bar has been dragged down by the Law Society's inadequacy in dealing with complaints.'


Mr Scott also voiced concerns over the proposed office for legal complaints (OLC), saying he was worried that consumers would be disadvantaged as a result of the change.


'There is considerable scope in these proposals for greater delay, confusion between the OLC and the frontline regulators and for the loss of the real expertise that the bar provides in the analysis of complaints,' he warned.


Mark Stobbs, the Bar Council's deputy chief executive, said that the bar provided the commissioner with £4-6 million per year of free legal advice, which would completely wipe out the savings Sir David envisaged.