Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No. 28 of 2014)RulesLegal Services Ombud RulesPart A3. Lodging and Processing of Complaints |
| (1) | Every complaint shall— |
| (a) | be in writing on Form 1 in Annexure 1 to these Rules; |
| (b) | set out the complaint in clear and concise terms; |
| (c) | state the material facts on which the complaint is based; and |
| (d) | be signed by the complainant. |
| (2) | The complaint shall be submitted to the Ombud— |
| (a) | by hand delivery during office hours to any of the offices of the Ombud; |
| (b) | by emailing it to [email protected]; or |
| (c) | by registered post to Spooral Park Building, 2007 Lenchen Avenue South, Centurion Central, 0157. |
| (3) | The Ombud shall, within five days of receipt of the complaint, register the complaint and issue a reference number to the complainant: Provided that all the information required for assessment is available. |
| (4) | The Ombud shall, within 30 days after the issue of a reference number, assess the complaint to determine whether the complaint falls within its mandate in terms of section 48 (1)(a) of the Act. |
| (5) | The Ombud shall, within 10 days of the assessment referred to in sub-rule (4), inform the complainant in writing of the outcome of the assessment. |
| (6) | If the Ombud is unable to comply with the timeframes set out in sub-rules (3) to (5), the complainant shall be informed of the delay and indicate the period in which the Ombud shall comply. |