Welcome to the website of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority
Updated: 15 November 2019 (New Page for Patents of Precedence )
Complaints under Part 6 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015
- Following extensive preparatory work in relation to the introduction of the new complaints system for legal practitioners, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) has been informed that the Minister for Justice and Equality signed the required commencement order on the 7th of October 2019 to introduce the new complaints mechanism under Part 6 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.
- From the 7th of October 2019, the LSRA will be dealing with complaints made in respect of solicitors and barristers.
- The LSRA will upload documentation relevant to the complaints function to the complaints section of the LSRA website here. This documentation includes an online complaints form and informational leaflets for complainants and legal practitioners. Further guidance documents will be uploaded over the coming days.
- The Complaints and Resolution Unit of the LSRA has a designated email address complaints@lsra.ie which can be used for the submission of complaints. Under the 2015 Act all complaints must be submitted in writing. The Complaints and Resolution Unit can be contacted from 10:00-12:30 and from 14:00-16:00 on telephone 01-8592911.
Legal Services Regulatory Authority
October 2019
Section 218 Public Consultation
Invitation by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority for Submissions
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) invites submissions as part of a public consultation prior to the making and issuing of regulations in relation to the advertising of legal services. To see the full notice, visit our Section 218 Public Consultation page.
06 August 2019
Appointments of Lay Members of the Complaints Committee of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority
The positions are advertised on http://www.stateboards.ie/stateboards/campaignAdvert/106449.htm and http://www.stateboards.ie/stateboards/campaignAdvert/106465.htm
Closing date for applications for the following memberships is 15:00 on 13 September 2019
12 July 2019
Public Consultation Notice (Section 34)
Further Public Consultation by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority on the Education and Training of Legal Practitioners
The Authority invites written submissions from members of the public and any other interested party in relation to the proposals put forward in the Section 34 Hook Tangaza report or on any relevant aspect of the education and training arrangements in the State for legal practitioners. For full details of the public consultation, visit our Section 34 page.
21 October 2019 (latest version of roll)
Roll of Practising Barristers
In June 2018 the LSRA commenced the establishment of the Roll of Practising Barristers as required under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.
The Roll of Practising Barristers is a register of all barristers entitled to provide legal services in the State and can be found on the Barristers page of the website.
Under section 134 (1) of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, every person who has been called to the Bar of Ireland and who intends to provide legal services as a barrister must apply to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority to have their name entered on the Roll.
Under section 136 of the Act, when commenced, it will be a criminal offence for a person to provide legal services as a practising barrister if their name and certain additional information is not on the Roll of Practising Barristers.
The application form for entry to the Roll can be found in the Barristers section of this website along with a number of guidance notes regarding the Roll and the application form itself.
Completed forms should be returned by email to lsra-roll@lsra.ie or by post to
Roll of Practising Barristers Unit,
Legal Services Regulatory Authority,
P.O. Box 12906,
Dublin 2.
8 July 2019
LSRA Annual Report 2018
LSRA Annual Report for 2018 now on website in the Reports section.
URSD An Tuarascáil Bhliantúil - Anseo
Protected Disclosures Report 2018
LSRA Protected Disclosures Report for 2018 now in website Reports section.
8 July 2019
Authority Meetings
Minutes for Authority Meeting of 4 April 2019 are now published in our Meetings section.
Update - 30 May 2019 - Section 34 Submissions now uploaded.
Report to the Minister for Justice & Equality under Section 34 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (Education and Training of Legal Practitioners):
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority has submitted a report to the Minister for Justice and Equality on the education and training of legal practitioners, as required by section 34 of the 2015 Act. The report has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and is available, along with the submissions received as part of the Public Consultation under the Act, in our Section 34 Report section.
In fulfilling its obligations under section 34 of the Act, the Authority engaged Hook Tangaza consultants to conduct a review of legal education and training, and their detailed report to the Authority is also available in the Section 34 Report section.
The Authority is not making recommendations to the Minister for Justice and Equality under section 34 at this time, as there is a programme of further work still to be carried out. The Authority’s report to the Minister outlines our plan to conduct further engagement with the key stakeholders in the area of legal education, leading to a symposium to be held in September 2019.
Update on Legal Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships
The LSRA has prepared draft regulations under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, to provide for the operation and management of Legal Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships. It has begun a process of informal consultation on the draft regulations with the professional bodies as defined in the Act.
The LSRA invited practising barristers, who are not members of such bodies but who may be subject to the proposed regulations, to contact the LSRA at
lsra-inbox@lsra.ie to request a copy of the draft regulations and to make observations on same should they so wish. This process is now closed and submissions received are under review. An update will issue on the website in due course.
Update on Professional Indemnity Insurance
The LSRA has prepared draft regulations regarding professional indemnity insurance as required under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.
The deadline for submissions in respect of the code has been passed and the consultation is closed.
The submissions received are under review at the LSRA. An update will issue on the website in due course.
Code of Practice for Practising Barristers
The deadline for submissions in respect of the Draft Code of Practice for Practising Barristers is passed and the consultation is closed. The submissions received are under review at the LSRA. The Draft Code published for the consultation can be found in the Barristers area of the website.
Corporate Governance Assurance Agreement
A Corporate Governance Assurance Agreement between the LSRA and the Department of Justice & Equality was signed on 13 July 2018 and is available in the Governance section of the website.
Section 6 - Review of the Operation of the 2015 Act
The closing date for the receipt of submissions for the Public Consultation under Section 6 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (Review of the Operation of the Act) has now passed. An update on the Section 6 report will issue shortly.
LSRA Appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice & Equality
The Chairperson (Dr Don Thornhill) and CEO (Dr Brian Doherty) of the Legal Services Regulation Authority appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice & Equality on 4 July 2018.
A link to the video of the session and the official report can be found on the Oireachtas website here.
Our 2017 Annual Report and Strategic Plan 2018-2020 are now available:
The LSRA's Annual Report for 2017 has been laid before the Oireachtas by the Minister for Justice & Equality and is now available on our website here.
The Report sets out the breadth of work completed in 2017 by the LSRA and is complemented by our First Strategic Plan for 2018-2020 which can be found here.
LSRA Protected Disclosures Report 2017:
The LSRA's Protected Disclosures Report for 2017 can be found in the Reports Section of the website here.
The LSRA's Protected Disclosures Policy and Procedures can be found in the Governance Section of the website here.
Legal Partnerships
The LSRA is currently focused on developing the framework necessary for the introduction of Legal Partnerships as required by the Legal Services Regulation Act, 2015.
The LSRA has held workshops with the Law Society, the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns and the Bar of Ireland.
The LSRA is developing draft regulations and a Code of Practice.
Professional Codes
The Law Society of Ireland professional codes can be found on their website along with other useful information here.
The Bar of Ireland Code of Conduct can be found here and the Disciplinary Code can be found here.