Lawyers Standards Committees

The Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Complaints Service and Standards Committees) Regulations 2008 provide for the establishment of lawyers standards committees to consider complaints.

Standards committees have been established in Auckland (four), Canterbury (two), Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Nelson, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Waikato Bay of Plenty (two), Whanganui and Wellington (two). Up to seven lawyer members and two lay members have been appointed by the NZLS Board for each committee for terms of two or three years. Conveners and deputy conveners have also been appointed. A quorum is a majority of members but must have at least two lawyer members and one lay member.

The Regulations provide for two national standards committees, based in Wellington, to be established. Criteria have been set down for when these committees would consider complaints. These include complaints that involve investigation in two or more localities or those that are sufficiently major/complex or of such public interest or importance to the profession that resolution is likely to be facilitated by reference to a national committee.

Fifteen reserve committees may be appointed from time to time in areas nominated by the Board.

As well as considering complaints, the standards committees have some powers, previously held by district councils, to intervene in legal practices and to commence own motion inquiries.

© New Zealand Law Society 2008