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Complaints - Legal Services

 Sam (the Clerk) 07902 116209  Reception (message service) 02080583489

  GRSChambers@outlook.com     www.greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk

Customer satisfaction is important to GRSC

GRSC would always hope that there is never any need to complain, but we have a procedure in place if needed:


Complaints Procedure in force from 1 July 2026


Stage 1: informal stage

1.     If, at any stage, you have a concern (or complaint) I ask that you raise it via email with the barrister concerned. This is called the informal stage. This provides the opportunity for the barrister to liaise with you to try to resolve the concern. No other Barrister or third party should be included in the email due to confidentiality. 


2.     GRSC Barrister emails are: 

Amanda Marquarite Robinson GRSChambers@outlook.com

Nicholas Berry nberry@greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk

Angus Gloag agloag@greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk

Peter Ward pward@greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk

Eugene MacLaughlin emaclaughlin@greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk

Philip Bowen pbowen@greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk


3.  The recipient will acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days and respond within 14 days from the time of your email to the date of the response. 

4.  Delay: if there is a delay with the response, you will be notified. If you do not hear from the barrister within 14 days, please alert the barrister (using the email address above) and the clerk (using Clerk@greatrussellstreetchambers.co.uk). We ask you to do this just in case your concern has been missed or you have not received a response which has been sent. 

5.  The barrister will aim to resolve your complaint at this stage. However, if the initial response fails to deal with the issues raised to your satisfaction, you can raise a formal complaint by following the procedure set out below. 

6. You may also choose to resolve it informally over the telephone, for example by speaking to Sam who provides our clerking service (as he is most likely to have had contact with you on a regular basis) or asking that the barrister call you as soon as practicable to discuss.


  Stage 2: formal complaint stage

7. Formal complaints should be made in writing within 14 days of the response that you have received under the procedure above and addressed to the Head of Chambers on GRSChambers@outlook.com. 

8. If you make a formal complaint, please provide:

        (a)   Your name and contact details. 

        (b)  Which service(s) you are complaining about. 

        (c)   The details of the complaint. 

        (d)  The details of any informal attempt you have made to resolve your complaint. 

        (e)   What you would like to be done about it. 

If a, b, c, and e are missing, we may request these details which would lengthen the process.

9.  A response to your formal complaint will be made within 21 days of receipt of the formal complaint, unless there is non-compliance with 6(a) to (c) and (e) above. 

10. The investigation includes reviewing your information, case information, and usually include reviewing documents which might contain privileged information. It might be that additional time is required, in which case you will be notified and kept up to date on progress.


  Stage 3: Alternative Dispute Resolution; reviewing outcome and mediation 

11. If the formal stage does not resolve your formal complaint to your satisfaction and you raise this with the Head of Chambers, the matter can be considered for mediation. The email address for the Head of Chambers is: GRSC@outlook.com and her name is Miss Amanda Marquarite Robinson.

12. One of the bodies which supplies mediation is ProMediate. Please note the time limit for contacting ProMediate is within 14 days of the response to the complaint being communicated to you and if mediation is used, neither you or the barrister shall be required to accept the proposed resolution. If mediation does not resolve the complaint, you may still make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (providing that you fall within their jurisdiction and you do so within the time limit). 

13. Where mediation is agreed, it usually attracts a fee. The parties will need to discuss how this fee will be paid. 


Data Processing

14. By raising a complaint, you agree that the matter can be investigated, and the investigator may need to see confidential information. We shall also have to keep a record of the complaint and the documents (correspondence in respect of the complaint and documents referred to within that correspondence) for six years for our records.


Legal Ombudsman

If you are not happy with the reply, then you can contact the Legal Ombudsman.


Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman and BSB

15.  If you are unhappy with the outcome, you may take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will only deal with complaints from consumers, and therefore only complaints from barrister’s clients are within their jurisdiction. Non-clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaints process should contact the BSB instead. 

16. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman has time limits in which a complaint must be raised with them. In particular, there is a six-month time limit from the conclusion of the investigation by GRSC in which to raise your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. 

17. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within:

  •       One year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concern; or 
  •      Within one year of realising there was a concern
  •      Within six months of the complaint receiving a final response from their lawyer, if that response complies with the requirements in rule 4.4. of the Scheme Rules (which requires the response to include prominently that the Legal Ombudsman was available if the complainant remained dissatisfied and the provision of the full contact details for the Ombudsman and a warning a complaint must be referred to them within six months). 

Note:

The Legal Ombudsman can extend the time limit if it is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances. We will have regard to the applicable time limit in deciding whether we are able to investigate any complaint. We will not normally deal with a complaint that falls outside the time limit applicable to a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.


You can write to the Legal Ombudsman at:

Complaints Team

Legal Ombudsman

PO Box 6167 

Slough 

SL1 0EH

Tel: +44 (0) 300 555 0333

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk


Bar Standards Board

Contact and Assessment Team

289-293 High Holborn

WC1V 7JZ

Tel: +44 (0)207 611 1444

Website: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk


Any work not undertaken on behalf of and clearly marked as GRSC work shall not fall under GRSC complaints procedure. Members of chambers are entitled to be members of other sets of chambers and have their own practices. As such, the only complaints handled by GRSC are from clients who have used GRSC services. The client care letter must display the logo, main chambers' address, and confirm the head of chambers as Amanda Marquarite Robinson.



Barristers have a right to withdraw their services in limited situations. Do not worry, this is rare and barristers at GRSC will explain to you if there is a risk that they may have to withdraw and then discuss withdrawal with you if it becomes necessary.

You can find more information here: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/the-bsb-handbook.html?audience=&part=&q=Rc29


 

Complaints - Mediation Services



GRSC would always hope that there is never any need to complain, but have a procedure in place if needed:

  1. You can choose to raise a complaint informally directly with the mediator, by emailing GRSChambers@outlook.com with the subject heading ‘informal complaint’ and set out what the complaint is and how you would hope it was remedied. The mediator will then respond in writing within 5 working days of receipt of the informal complaint.
  2. If you wish to raise a formal complaint, please email GRSChambers@outlook.com with the subject heading ‘complaint’ and state the complaint, date of mediation and mediator the complaint relates to.
  3. Upon receipt, your complaint will receive a written acknowledgement within 5 working days.
  4. All complaints will be investigated within 21 working days and receive a written response within 21 days of receipt of the complaint.
  5. There are times when further time might be required to complete the investigation, but this will be communicated in writing - with the reason - within 21 working days of receipt of the complaint. 
  6. The complaint will be never be investigated by the mediator about which the complaint is about.
  7. Regulated mediators will maintain a record of any complaint received, as per their regulatory requirement.
  8. If you are unhappy with the result of your complaint, you are at liberty to raise this.