The number of complaints made against barristers is set to rise next year following the loss of barristers' immunity, the Independent Complaints Commissioner for the Bar has warned.

Unveiling his annual report for 2000, the Bar's Independent Complaints Commissioner Michael Scott warned that the number of complaints, which has remained flat in recent years, is set to rise following the removal of barristers' immunity last July in a House of Lords ruling.

Scott noted: "The loss of barristers' immunity from suit has an impact on my work. In light of this, I anticipate a rise, but not dramatically, in inadequate professional service cases next year."

Figures for 2000 show 569 complaints lodged against barristers during the last year – only one more than the year before.

Of the 569 complaints the commissioner handled last year, decisions have been made in 346, with the commissioner dismissing 257 complaints and acting as a conciliator in four.

In addition, 137 decisions by the commissioner were reviewed by the Legal Services Ombudsman and recommendations were made in three of these cases. The number of lay complaints fell.

Scott noted: "The drop in lay complaints is not a matter for self-congratulation, but I like to feel barristers are becoming increasingly aware of their clients' anxieties and taking steps to think more about how they care for them."

The commissioner's report comes out at a time when up to 30 barristers are being investigated
by the Bar Council following complaints from the Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) concerning suspect legal aid fees.