LEGAL SERVICES OMBUD RULES REPLACED

LEGAL SERVICES OMBUD RULES REPLACED

• 18 July 2025
• Justice & Constitutional Development
• SA Legal Academy

Please note: On 25 July 2025, the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development gazetted a correction notice with rules replacing those issued on 18 July 2025. It is not clear where the errors were made. 

The Department of Justice & Constitutional Development has gazetted Legal Services Ombud rules presumably replacing those published in April 2022, in anticipation of the Ombud’s formal establishment two months later.

Immediately effective, among other things the new rules:

• spell out the procedures to be followed when the Ombud investigates a matter pursuant to a complaint
• require the same procedures to be followed when the Ombud investigates a matter ‘on their own initiative’
• include a section on requests for information and/or documentation
• prescribe requirements to be met before an investigation begins
• provide for a mediation, conciliation and negotiation process
• enable the Ombud to monitor an investigating committee
• make investigation outcome reporting mandatory, and
• require the Ombud to establish and maintain a layperson’s list (intended to ensure that investigating committee appointees meet all the necessary criteria, although it is not clear where these are set out).

Please click the links below for more information:

• new rules (replaced on 25 July 2025)
• April 2022 rules (now replaced)

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

Follow us on X @SALegalAcademy (you can also join us on LinkedIn and Facebook)

0 COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT