Annual Report 2008-09 - Legal Services Commissioner
Annual Report 2008-09 - Legal Services Commissioner
Annual Report 2008-09 - Legal Services Commissioner
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APPENDICES<br />
Complaints under the <strong>Legal</strong> Profession Act 2004<br />
90<br />
80<br />
70<br />
60<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
2.12 LSC alternative disciplinary actions<br />
27<br />
The following graph shows the number of<br />
alternative disciplinary actions taken by the<br />
<strong>Legal</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Commissioner</strong> in <strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong>.<br />
(See page 17 for an explanation of alternative<br />
disciplinary actions). There was a 45% increase<br />
in the number of alternative disciplinary actions<br />
compared with the previous year.<br />
37<br />
2007-08<br />
5<br />
13<br />
20<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong><br />
1 2 3 4 Total<br />
28<br />
4 3<br />
56<br />
81<br />
2.13 Disciplinary applications to the Tribunal<br />
The following table shows the number of<br />
disciplinary applications made to the Tribunal in<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong>.<br />
During <strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong>, the <strong>Legal</strong> <strong>Services</strong><br />
<strong>Commissioner</strong> made 70 new applications to<br />
the Tribunal. This number represents the 64<br />
applications made under the <strong>Legal</strong> Profession Act<br />
2004 plus the six applications made under the<br />
<strong>Legal</strong> Practice Act 1996, see appendix 3.5.<br />
Table: Applications to VCAT<br />
Disciplinary<br />
applications<br />
under <strong>Legal</strong><br />
Profession Act 04<br />
Disciplinary applications<br />
made in <strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong><br />
Heard<br />
by VCAT<br />
during<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong><br />
Filed and<br />
yet to be<br />
heard and/<br />
or awaiting<br />
orders by<br />
VCAT as at<br />
30 June <strong>09</strong> TOTAL<br />
35 (55%) 29 (45%) 64<br />
Graph: Alternative disciplinary actions<br />
1 LSC reprimanded practitioner<br />
2 LSC cautioned practitioner<br />
3 Practitioner found generally competent & diligent & so no further action<br />
4 LSC asked practitioner to pay compensation<br />
Disciplinary applications<br />
made in previous years<br />
Disciplinary applications<br />
heard or awaiting<br />
hearing during <strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong><br />
0 1 (100%) 1<br />
35 (54%) 30 (46%) 65<br />
2.14 Complaints outstanding<br />
The following table shows the number of outstanding complaints in <strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong> by complaint type.<br />
There were more complaints outstanding at the end of <strong>2008</strong>-<strong>09</strong> as compared with the previous year, due to the<br />
Court of Appeal’s decision in Byrne v Marles elongating the complaint handling process.<br />
Days since receipt<br />
of complaint<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<br />
<strong>09</strong><br />
120 Total<br />
2007-<br />
08<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<br />
<strong>09</strong><br />
2007-<br />
08<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<br />
<strong>09</strong><br />
2007-<br />
08<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<br />
<strong>09</strong><br />
2007-<br />
08<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<br />
<strong>09</strong><br />
2007-<br />
08<br />
<strong>2008</strong>-<br />
<strong>09</strong><br />
2007-<br />
08<br />
Civil Dispute 28 34 15 19 26 12 13 9 21 18 103 92<br />
Disciplinary 69 66 73 54 67 44 51 37 420 294 680 495<br />
Mixed (Civil &<br />
Disciplinary)<br />
35 52 28 31 28 39 26 21 138 114 255 257<br />
Total 132 152 116 104 121 95 90 67 579 426 1038 844<br />
112<br />
<strong>Legal</strong> <strong>Services</strong> COMMISSIONER 20<strong>09</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong>
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