Welcome to the website of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority 

 

Updated:  15 January 2020 (Roll of Practising Barristers Updated)

 

23 December 2019

Section 33

Consultation by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority on the Admission Policies of the Legal Professions

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority invites written submissions in relation to the admission policies of the legal professions, prior to preparing an annual report to the Minister for Justice and Equality as required under section 33 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. The closing date for receipt of submissions is 3 February 2020.

The detailed Consultation Notice can be found here - Section 33 Public Consultation Notice

 

Complaints under Part 6 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. From the 7th of October 2019, the LSRA will be dealing with complaints made in respect of solicitors and barristers.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

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Legal Services Regulatory Authority

 

October 2019

 

 

Professional Indemnity Insurance Regulations (SI No 572 of 2019)

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority has issued regulations regarding the professional indemnity insurance required by practising barristers.

The Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (Professional Indemnity Insurance) Regulations 2019 set minimum terms and conditions for professional indemnity insurance that all practising barristers must comply with.

There are exceptions within the regulations for practising barristers who provide legal services only as an employee of a partnership of solicitors and for practising barristers who provide legal services only as part of their employment within the State for an employer who is not a legal practice.

As provided for by section 46 (3) of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, the LSRA has approved the group scheme of professional indemnity insurance for practising barristers within the Bar of Ireland as being in compliance with the 2019 Regulations.

The Professional Indemnity Insurance Regulations can be found on the Irish Statute Book website here:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2019/si/572/made/en/print

 

November 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.

 

 

 

 

15 January 2020 (latest version of roll 15/01/2020)

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 the LSRA's lsra-roll@lsra.ie email 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.

6 January 2020

Authority Meetings

Minutes for Authority Meeting of 5 September 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.

 

 

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 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.

 

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.