(1) As soon as practicable after 30 June (but before 31 December) in each
year, the NSW Commissioner is to prepare and forward to the Attorney General a
report on his or her activities for the 12 months ending on 30 June in that
year.
(2) The Attorney General is to lay the annual report or cause it to be
laid before both Houses of Parliament as soon as practicable after receiving
the report.
(3) The NSW Commissioner is to include the following matters in
the annual report--
(a) information on the operation of the complaints process
during the year and any recommendations for legislative or other improvements
to the complaints process,
(b) information about the financial affairs and
accounts of the Office of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner (including costs
incurred by the NSW Commissioner) during the year,
(c) a copy of a
certificate of an auditor as to the outcome of any audit carried out under
subsection (4) in relation to the year or any previous year if a copy of the
certificate has not been included in an earlier annual report under this
section,
(d) other information or matters that the NSW Commissioner considers
appropriate to be included or that the Attorney General directs to be
included.
(4) Information referred to in subsection (3)(b) is to be audited
at least every 2 years. The NSW Commissioner and the Secretary are to enter
into arrangements for the audit of the information.
(5) Matters included in
an annual report must not identify individual clients, Australian lawyers or
Australian-registered foreign lawyers unless their names have already lawfully
been made public under another provision of this Act or under the Legal
Profession Uniform Law (NSW) .
(6) The annual report need not include
information forwarded to the
Commissioner for Uniform Legal Services Regulation and included or intended to
be included in the Commissioner's annual report under Part 4 of Schedule 2 to
the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) .
Note : Section 440 of that Law deals
with the provision of information by local regulatory authorities.
