1. The Chambers of Andrew Mitchell QC aims is to give you a good service at all times. If you have a complaint however, you are invited to let us know as soon as possible.
Complaints made by Telephone
2. You may wish to make a complaint in writing and, if so, please follow the procedure in paragraph 4 below. If you would rather speak on the telephone about your complaint, please telephone the barrister concerned or (if the complaint is about a member of staff) the Practice Director, Martin Adams on 020 7440 9950. If the complaint is about Martin Adams, then please telephone Andrew Mitchell QC, the Head of Chambers. The person you contact will make a note of the details of your complaint and what you would like done about it. S/he will discuss your concerns with you and aim to resolve them. If the matter is resolved s/he will record the outcome, check that you are satisfied with the outcome and record that you are satisfied. You may also wish to record the outcome of the telephone discussion in writing.
3. If your complaint is not resolved on the telephone you will be invited to write to us about it within the next 14 days so that it can be investigated formally.
Complaints made in Writing
4. Please give the following details: your name and address, which member(s) of chambers you are complaining about; the detail of the complaint; and what you would like done about it. Please address your letter to Martin Adams, Practice Director, The Chambers of Andrew Mitchell QC, 33 Chancery Lane, WC1A 3EN, DX 322 Chancery Lane.
5. Our Chambers has a panel headed by Andrew Mitchell QC and made up of experienced members of chambers and a senior member of staff, which considers any written complaint. Within 14 days of your letter being received the head of the panel or her/his deputy in her/his absence will appoint a member of the panel to investigate it. If your complaint is against the head of the panel it will be investigated by the next most senior member of the panel. In any case, the person appointed will be someone other than the person you are complaining about.
6. The person appointed to investigate will write to you as soon as possible to let you know s/he has been appointed and that s/he will reply to your complaint within 14 days. If s/he finds later that s/he is not going to be able to reply within 14 days s/he will set a new date for her/his reply and inform you. Her/his reply will set out:
The nature and scope of her/his investigation;
Her/his conclusion on each complaint and the basis for her/his conclusion; and
If s/he finds that you are justified in your complaint, her/his proposals for resolving the complaint.
Confidentiality
7. All conversations and documents relating to the complaint will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed only to the extent that is necessary. Disclosure will be to the head of chambers, members of our management committee and to anyone involved in the complaint and its investigation. Such people will include the barrister member or staff who you have complained about, the head or relevant senior member of the panel and the person who investigates the complaint.
Our Policy
8. As part of our commitment to client care we make a written record of any complaint. Our management committee inspects the record regularly with a view to improving services.
Complaints to the Bar Standards Board (the independent regulatory body for barristers)
9. We hope that you will use our procedure. However if you would rather not do so or are unhappy with the outcome you do have the choice of taking up your complaint with the Bar Standards Board. You can write to them at:
The Conduct Committee
The Bar Standards Board
289-293 High Holborn
London WC1V 7HZ
Tel: 020 7611 1444
E-mail: Complaints@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk
Website: www.BarCouncil.org.uk
10. Please note that complaints made more than six moths after the act or omission complained of will be dismissed by the Complaints Commissioner unless the complaint is sufficiently serious to justify further consideration, or there are exceptional circumstances which would justify further consideration of the complaint despite the lapse of time since the matters complained of.