Complaints

Our barristers accept instructions through two sets of chambers: Ibraheem Dulmeer through Normanton Chambers and Mark Loveday through Tanfield Chambers. Which complaints policy applies depends on which chambers your matter was booked through. If you are unsure, ask and we will tell you.

Normanton Chambers

When you receive written notification from us that a case has been booked in a barrister's diary, or that they have accepted instructions, you will be told what to do if we fail to meet your expectations.

We are proud of the service we provide and welcome feedback on any aspect of it. All feedback is shared with the counsel or clerk concerned. We are of course particularly pleased to hear when the service has been positive, but should you have a concern we will do our very best to deal with it to your satisfaction.

Should your concern not be dealt with to your satisfaction, you can make a formal complaint. We will always ask whether negative feedback could be handled as a concern in the first instance, so that we can try to resolve matters informally.

Lay clients may complain directly to their barrister without going through their instructing solicitor. Where instructions were received on a public access basis using an intermediary, we must inform the intermediary of the complaint.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction that requires a formal written reply.

How to raise it

Raise your concern directly with our Chambers Director, Martin Davies, by email or by post or DX to:

Normanton Chambers
The Gate House
Clifford's Inn
London
EC4A 1BL

Or call 0300 0300 218 in the first instance, between 8.30am and 6pm.

How we respond

1. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly, normally the same day we receive it.
2. Your complaint will be investigated and dealt with by the Chambers Director, Martin Davies.
3. You will be advised of the date you can expect to hear from us. We aim to deal with matters promptly and within 28 days of receipt at the latest.
4. Should our response not meet with your approval, you may take the matter further with the Legal Ombudsman. We will assist the Ombudsman with any enquiries they make.

Documents and record keeping

We retain documents and records relating to every aspect of the service we have provided. Our internal systems and case management software provide a real-time audit trail of actions and communications.

All documents and data relating to a complaint are kept confidential and disclosed only so far as is necessary for:

• the investigation and resolution of the complaint
• internal review for the purposes of improving our practice
• complying with requests from the Bar Standards Board in the exercise of its monitoring or auditing functions

A record is kept of each complaint, all steps taken in response, and the outcome, together with all correspondence and documents generated. Records are retained for a minimum of six years as required by the Bar Standards Board.

The senior clerk reports annually to the Heads of Chambers setting out the number of complaints received, their subject areas and their outcomes. Complaints are reviewed to spot recurring concerns or negative trends so that they can be rectified and any training needs considered.

The above information is available in hard copy on request from the clerks. Please call 0300 0300 218.

Tanfield Chambers

The Legal Ombudsman

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of our internal complaints process, you may contact the Legal Ombudsman — the independent complaints body for complaints about lawyers. The Ombudsman cannot consider your complaint until it has first been investigated by Chambers.

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ

Telephone 0300 555 0333, between 10am and 4pm.
NGT Lite: 18001 0300 555 0333
Minicom text phone: 18002 0300 555 0333
www.legalombudsman.org.uk