Upon receipt of your application in the prescribed form, the Tribunal will first convene a Panel of one Solicitor member who will act as Chair and two lay members. The Panel will consider your application, and it will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support your application and progress the case. This is known as establishing whether there is a prima facie case in legal terms.
If the Tribunal decide there is no prima facie case, your application will be refused, and you will be notified accordingly.
Tribunal hearings are private and are not open to the public. If you are an applicant in the case, you can attend and present your case. If you are a complainant in a case that is before the Tribunal, you may be allowed to attend, however this is not guaranteed.
You must request permission in writing directly from the Secretary to the Tribunal.
If you are a complainant in a case that has been referred to the Tribunal by the Law Society the Tribunal will not inform you of the outcome directly. You can contact the Law Society requesting an update.
If you require further information in relation to the Tribunal process, you can contact the Secretary to the Tribunal. The relevant contact details are as follows:
Postal Address
The Secretary to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal Law Society House 96 Victoria Street Belfast BT1 3GN Email General@sdt-ni.co.uk
Please note that the Secretary to the Tribunal cannot provide you with legal advice in relation to your complaint or the disciplinary process.
