Reporting Concerns: Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy

The Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy

The statutory regulator of the solicitors’ branch of the legal profession in Northern Ireland, the Law Society of Northern Ireland is responsible for regulating professional standards and the propriety of solicitors’ professional conduct in general, in order to maintain the independence, ethical standards, professional competence and quality of services offered to the public. 

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has in place a Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy which is available byclicking below.

The Policy explains how a member of the public, lawyers and other people working in the legal sector may raise a concern with the Law Society of Northern Ireland about a serious wrongdoing, risk to the public or professional misconduct of which you become aware, whether through your work in a firm or with a solicitor.  This includes individuals under a contract of employment, trainees and agency staff, as well as external suppliers and clients.

Aims of the Policy:

The aims of this Policy are twofold:-

1. To enable a person who believes honestly and reasonably that serious wrongdoing, risk to the public or serious professional misconduct has occurred, is occurring, or is likely to occur, about an individual or within a firm, to report their legitimate concerns to the Law Society of Northern Ireland;

2. To inform solicitors that where the Society receives a report whether signed or anonymous, in which allegations that serious wrongdoing, risk to the public or serious professional misconduct has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur about an individual or within a firm, the Society will make such enquiries, if any, as it deems necessary, reasonable and proportionate to determine if there is any issue in substance.

You are encouraged to read the Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy if you have a concern.

How to Report a Concern:

To make a Disclosure or to report a Whistleblowing concern to the Law Society please contact the Regulation (Professional Conduct) Department:-

By email:	Regulation@lawsoc-ni.org
By telephone:	028 9023 1614
By post:	Regulation (Professional Conduct) Department, Law Society House, 96 Victoria Street, Belfast, BT1 3GN

Reporting a Concern or Making a Complaint:

A Whistleblowing concern/Disclosure of serious wrongdoing, risk to the public or professional misconduct is not the same as a personal grievance or complaint whether that arises in the course of private employment, business relationships or otherwise. 

In cases of service issues which may give rise to a solicitor client complaint, you should raise these with the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Client Complaints Department which considers complaints about legal services provided by their lawyer or firm. 

The Client Complaints Department may be contacted by clicking here.

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