The Tribunal Panel
Substantive hearings take place before a Panel of at least three Members of the Tribunal. In November 2006 a Legal Services Review Group chaired by Professor Sir George Bain, issued a report “Legal Services in Northern Ireland: Complaints, Regulation, Competition.”
This report contained recommendations aimed at improving the existing system, primarily in the context of complaints handling by professional bodies.
Subsequently, the Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (“the 2016 Act”) was enacted following consultation and it commenced on 1 September 2025. One of the key changes is the increased lay membership of the Tribunal. The 2016 Act (link to the legislation) requires at least two lay members and one legal Chair to constitute the Panel and will require a majority of lay membership overall.
The Hearing
Hearings are held in person and in private, typically attended by the parties, their legal representatives, the Tribunal panel together with the clerk to the hearing which will normally be the SDT Secretary. Members of the public are usually not permitted to attend.
However, complainants may be allowed to observe with prior written permission. Any enquiries regarding attendance at a hearing should be made in writing directly to the Secretary to the Tribunal.