Annual Report 2008-09 - Legal Services Commissioner

Chapter ONE
About the Legal Services Commissioner
The Legal Services Commissioner is responsible for the receipt and handling
of complaints about lawyers in Victoria.
The Legal Services Commissioner was established on 12 December 2005 by the Legal Profession Act 2004.
Victoria Marles has occupied the position of Legal Services Commissioner since the role was first established. Ms Marles is also
the Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Services Board.
The Legal Services Commissioner is an independent statutory authority accountable to the Parliament of Victoria.
The Attorney-General, the Hon. Rob Hulls MP, is the responsible Minister.
Our Objectives:
The statutory objectives of the Legal Services Commissioner are to:
• ensure that complaints against legal practitioners and disputes between
law practices or legal practitioners and clients are dealt with in a timely and
effective manner;
• educate the legal profession about issues of concern to the profession and to
consumers of legal services; and
• educate the community about legal issues and the rights and obligations that flow
from the client-practitioner relationship.
2 Legal Services COMMISSIONER 2009 Annual Report