The proposed office for legal complaints (OLC) should be based in the West Midlands, the Lord Chancellor announced this week in an effort to relieve staff uncertainty at the Law Society's Consumer Complaints Service (CCS).

However, Lord Falconer said the OLC will not be in Leamington Spa, where the CCS is based. He said: 'This is to ensure the OLC will be a new organisation independent of the existing framework and can take advantage of a larger local labour market and the benefits associated with moving to a new site.'


A Department for Constitutional Affairs spokesman confirmed that 'TUPE does apply' in relation to the transfer of staff from the CCS to the OLC, although 'there are conversations ongoing about how it will work in practice'. He stressed that the OLC's structure will ensure it is not just a rebadged CCS.


Law Society President Kevin Martin said that in the light of improvements to complaints-handling, the 'sensible decision... will allow the OLC to draw on the experience and expertise of most of our excellent staff in the CCS'. Professor Shamit Saggar, chairman of the Consumer Complaints Board, said it would ensure a smooth transition.