Governance and independence

Independent complaint determination within an OLC-governed scheme and Ministry of Justice sponsorship framework.

The Office for Legal Complaints is responsible for governance and oversight of the Legal Ombudsman scheme. The Ministry of Justice provides the appropriate sponsorship and accountability relationship without directing individual Ombudsman decisions.

The Legal Services Board has its separate legal-services oversight role. These relationships must not be collapsed into a single departmental complaints team.

Case allocation, evidence assessment, resolution and Ombudsman decisions should be protected from improper ministerial, provider or complainant influence.