Appointments under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act

Associate Justice Minister Rick Barker has today announced the appointment of Dr Duncan Webb as the Legal Complaints Review Officer and Hanneke Bouchier as the Deputy Legal Complaints Review Officer under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006.

"The Lawyers and Conveyancers Act creates a comprehensive and enhanced new complaints and disciplinary process for lawyers and conveyancing practitioners which comes into force on 1 August 2008," Mr Barker said.

"Under the Act, the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Society of Conveyancers are responsible for establishing Lawyers Standards Committees and Conveyancers Standards Committees respectively to operate as an accessible service for the investigation and resolution of complaints about practitioners, incorporated firms, and their employees."

The decisions of these Committees will be able to be reviewed by an independent Legal Complaints Review Officer.

Dr Webb is currently a Professor of Law at Canterbury University. His primary areas of teaching have been in professional ethics and regulation.

“Dr Webb brings a high level of knowledge and skill to this new position and his management experience at the University will greatly assist him in the day-to-day decision making of the office," Mr Barker said.

The Minister also welcomed the appointment of Hanneke Bouchier who has been a Senior Investigating Officer at the Office of the Ombudsmen since 2002.

"She is very familiar with review and investigative processes and also has very useful experience of running a legal practice.”