Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

Complaints and discipline - Complaints

152: Power of Standards Committee to determine complaint or matter

You could also call this:

"The Standards Committee decides complaints about lawyers."

Illustration for Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

You can make a complaint about a lawyer. A Standards Committee looks into it. They hold a hearing and make a decision. They can send the complaint to the Disciplinary Tribunal. You can also complain about a matter under section 130(c). The Standards Committee holds a hearing and makes a decision. They can say someone behaved badly. The Standards Committee can decide to take no further action. Their decision is final, but you can review it under section 193 or section 156(4). They can also make an order under section 156 or section 157, and this is final too. The Standards Committee can make a decision about a complaint at any time under section 138. This does not limit their power to make other decisions.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM366192.

This page was last updated on 4 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal helpMoney and consumer rights > Consumer protection

151: Evidence, or

"What evidence is used to make decisions about complaints"

153: Hearings on the papers, or

"The committee makes a decision based on written information, without a face-to-face meeting."

Part 7Complaints and discipline
Complaints

152Power of Standards Committee to determine complaint or matter

A Standards Committee may,—
after both inquiring into a complaint and conducting a hearing with regard to that complaint; or
after both inquiring into a matter under section 130(c) and conducting a hearing with regard to that matter,—

The determinations that the Standards Committee may make are as follows:
a determination that the complaint or matter, or any issue involved in the complaint or matter, be considered by the Disciplinary Tribunal:
a determination that there has been unsatisfactory conduct on the part of—
1. a practitioner or former practitioner; or
2. an incorporated firm or former incorporated firm; or
3. an employee or former employee of a practitioner or incorporated firm:
a determination that the Standards Committee take no further action with regard to the complaint or matter or any issue involved in the complaint or matter.

Nothing in this section limits the power of a Standards Committee to make, at any time, a decision under section 138 with regard to a complaint.
Subject to the right of review conferred by section 193 and to section 156(4), every determination made under subsection (1) and every order made under section 156 or section 157 is final.

Notes

Section 152(1)(b): amended, on 20 September 2007, by section 4 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Amendment Act 2007 (2007 No 67).