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Office of the Complaints Resolution Commissioner
If your complaint file has been closed by the Law Society, and you disagree with the decision to close your file and you have been advised by the Law Society that you may request a review by the Complaints Resolution Commissioner, you may ask the Commissioner to provide an independent review of the decision to ensure that the inquiry into the complaint and the decision to close the complaint were reasonable.
If your complaint is eligible for review, you will be informed of that in the Law Society decision notice that explains the outcome of your complaint and the reasons for making that decision.
Please note, if the Law Society has closed your complaint because it falls outside of the Law Society’s regulatory scope, your complaint is not eligible for review.
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Request a review
The Law Society’s decision notice will indicate whether your complaint is eligible for review. You must request a review through your LSO Connects account within 60 days of being notified by the Law Society that your complaint is closed and eligible for review.
You will be asked if you have any accessibility requirements and/or need assistance with the process. See Contact us on this page for additional information.
You will be given the option to participate in a review meeting with the Commissioner online through an audio or video call or via a teleconference call, or you can ask the Commissioner for a review based on the documents in the file, in your absence.
After you submit your request, you will receive further instructions about next steps and to schedule a review through your LSO Connects account.
If you do not have an LSO Connects account, contact the Office of the Complaints Resolution Commissioner.
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Providing new information
There is no need to upload documents which have already been provided to the Law Society and which are contained in your file in LSO Connects. The Law Society provides all relevant information to the Complaints Resolution Commissioner in advance of the review.
Uploading copies of documents or repeating information already provided to the Law Society may delay the review.
If you have new information concerning your complaint or you want to make written submissions to the Commissioner, please submit this material through your LSO Connects account as soon as possible.
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Scheduling a review meeting
You will be contacted through your LSO Connects account and given the option to choose the format of your review with the Complaints Resolution Commissioner (e.g., meeting via audio or video call or teleconference or in your absence based on the materials in the Law Society file).
The review will be scheduled as soon as possible, however, it may be several months before it takes place. We appreciate and thank you for your patience in advance.
If you have opted for a review meeting (as opposed to a review based on the written materials in the Law Society file) and are unable to participate in the meeting on the scheduled date or have decided not to proceed with the review meeting, please notify the Office of the Complaints Resolution Commissioner as soon as possible.
If you request that the review meeting be rescheduled, the Commissioner may ask for supporting documentation explaining why you cannot participate on the scheduled date.
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The review meeting
The meeting will be one hour. Review meetings are informal and involve a discussion of your complaint and the concerns you have with the Law Society's decision to close your file. If you wish, you may have a friend, family member or a legal representative join the meeting.
The Complaints Resolution Commissioner will have a lawyer or paralegal present to assist them and to respond to legal questions raised by the Commissioner. This lawyer or paralegal cannot give you legal advice.
The lawyer or paralegal who is the subject of your complaint does not participate in the review.
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Outcomes of the review
There are two possible outcomes of a review by the Complaints Resolution Commissioner:
- The Commissioner agrees with the Law Society’s decision to take no further action and close the complaint file. The Commissioner's decision concludes the matter. There are no further reviews and the decision is final.
- The Commissioner is not satisfied with the Law Society’s consideration of the complaint. In this case, the complaint will be referred back to the Law Society with a recommendation for further action.
In either situation, you will be notified of the decision in writing by the Commissioner through your LSO Connects account.
The Complaints Resolution Commissioner cannot:
- find that the lawyer or paralegal is guilty of professional misconduct or negligence
- impose disciplinary penalties on the lawyer or paralegal
- give you money or other compensation for financial losses
- direct that the lawyer or paralegal refund fees or disbursements to you.
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About the Complaints Resolution Commissioner
The Complaints Resolution Commissioner is independent of the Law Society. The current Commissioner is Ms. Virginia Torrance.
Between 2014 and 2023, Ms. Torrance was counsel at the Waterloo Regional Police Service reporting to the Chief of Police. This role included advising on the investigation of and the prosecution of police discipline matters. As part of the role, Ms. Torrance managed complex litigation for the Service and advised on various internal issues. She also engaged with external stakeholders regarding various issues including the establishment of an external sexual assault review committee. In addition, Ms. Torrance advised on aspects of criminal investigations, contract negotiation, municipal legal matters, freedom of information requests, privacy concerns and conducted training for police officers on a variety of subjects. She also served as vice-chair of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Legal Advisors Committee.
Previously, Ms. Torrance spent 14 years practising child protection law as counsel to Children’s Aid Societies in Hamilton and Waterloo Region. In 2004, she was co-author of a review for the Ministry of Community and Social Services that considered five different Children’s Aid Societies and their utilization of legal services. She also spent seven years in private practice with an emphasis on family law.
A graduate of the Western University Faculty of Law, Ms. Torrance was called to the Ontario bar in 1992. As a graduate of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Global Studies Executive Leadership Program in 2018, she spent six months on a project examining equity, inclusion and diversity in police services from a global perspective including travelling to five different countries to observe their practices in this area.
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Contact us
Office of the Complaints Resolution Commissioner
393 University Ave., Suite 515
Toronto, ON M5G 1E6
Telephone: 416-947-3442
Toll-free: 1-866-880-9480
Email: complaintsreview@LSO.ca
Please advise us if, given your needs, you require the Office of the Complaints Resolution Commissioner communications in an alternate format that is accessible or if you require other arrangements to make our services accessible to you.
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