A toothless paper tiger rubber stamp?
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post, "The Law Society of Manitoba's poster child?"
Good Morning,
Interesting that you pose your questions as the LawSociety of Manitoba releases it's most recent communique. It seems they are celebrating the appointment of Mr. Perry and describe his background as follows:
Drew Perry was appointed as the Law Society’s Complaints Review Commissioner at the September 16, 2010 meeting of the Benchers. Mr. Perry is a retired Senior Executive in the Manitoba Public Service who most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister to the Treasury Board Secretariat of the Manitoba Department of Finance. He also served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Administration and Finance to the Department of Family Services & Housing and Assistant Deputy Minister, Child & Family Services. Mr. Perry was involved in developing new legislation, designing and implementing new public programs and services and led numerous reorganizations and internal reform projects. As a member of the Department of Family Services he had responsibilities in the areas of child welfare, child day care, family dispute services and family conciliation programs.
With regard to your other questions, I can only provide what the LSM is spouting currently on the topic of the role of the Commissioner:
The Complaints Review Commissioner plays a vital role in the Law Society’s complaints investigation process by reviewing staff decisions not to investigate a complaint because it is deemed to be of no merit as well as decisions not to refer an investigated complaint to the Complaints Investigation Committee for its consideration. The Commissioner is an independent member of the public who provides complainants with a second opinion on the resolution of their complaint.
Individuals who request that their complaint be reviewed must do so within sixty days of receiving the Society’s decision. When the Complaints Review Commissioner receives a request for review he will contact the Society and obtain the client’s original complaint file. The Commissioner will then make a decision based on the information found in the file. The Commissioner does not meet with the complainant or the lawyer. In the case of a complaint determined to be of no merit, the Commissioner can either confirm the decision of the Law Society or require that the complaint be investigated. Where a complaint has been investigated but has not proceeded to the Complaints Investigation Committee, the Commissioner can either confirm the decision of the Law Society or require that the complaint be referred to the Complaints Investigation Committee for its consideration.
As for how one applies, who can apply, and what they are paid - for that I suppose you'll have to either ask Mr. Perry himself, or make application under the Freedom of Information Act, but as the LSM is not a public body, rather a private organization with paid membership, I doubt you'll have much success with the latter.
Always fun to provide assistance.
VJH
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Dear VJH:
As always, thank you very much for your e-mail.
The timing of posing the questions was not coincidental. In reviewing a recent decision of the Complaints Commissioner the impression with which we were left, unfortunately, was that of a toothless paper tiger rubber stamp. "The Commissioner does not meet with the complainant or the lawyer" should be a dead giveaway.
Mr. Perry can be reached at:
P.O. Box 2234
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 3R5
Wonder how much he's paid per review?
Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
Good Morning,
Interesting that you pose your questions as the LawSociety of Manitoba releases it's most recent communique. It seems they are celebrating the appointment of Mr. Perry and describe his background as follows:
Drew Perry was appointed as the Law Society’s Complaints Review Commissioner at the September 16, 2010 meeting of the Benchers. Mr. Perry is a retired Senior Executive in the Manitoba Public Service who most recently served as Assistant Deputy Minister to the Treasury Board Secretariat of the Manitoba Department of Finance. He also served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Administration and Finance to the Department of Family Services & Housing and Assistant Deputy Minister, Child & Family Services. Mr. Perry was involved in developing new legislation, designing and implementing new public programs and services and led numerous reorganizations and internal reform projects. As a member of the Department of Family Services he had responsibilities in the areas of child welfare, child day care, family dispute services and family conciliation programs.
With regard to your other questions, I can only provide what the LSM is spouting currently on the topic of the role of the Commissioner:
The Complaints Review Commissioner plays a vital role in the Law Society’s complaints investigation process by reviewing staff decisions not to investigate a complaint because it is deemed to be of no merit as well as decisions not to refer an investigated complaint to the Complaints Investigation Committee for its consideration. The Commissioner is an independent member of the public who provides complainants with a second opinion on the resolution of their complaint.
Individuals who request that their complaint be reviewed must do so within sixty days of receiving the Society’s decision. When the Complaints Review Commissioner receives a request for review he will contact the Society and obtain the client’s original complaint file. The Commissioner will then make a decision based on the information found in the file. The Commissioner does not meet with the complainant or the lawyer. In the case of a complaint determined to be of no merit, the Commissioner can either confirm the decision of the Law Society or require that the complaint be investigated. Where a complaint has been investigated but has not proceeded to the Complaints Investigation Committee, the Commissioner can either confirm the decision of the Law Society or require that the complaint be referred to the Complaints Investigation Committee for its consideration.
As for how one applies, who can apply, and what they are paid - for that I suppose you'll have to either ask Mr. Perry himself, or make application under the Freedom of Information Act, but as the LSM is not a public body, rather a private organization with paid membership, I doubt you'll have much success with the latter.
Always fun to provide assistance.
VJH
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear VJH:
As always, thank you very much for your e-mail.
The timing of posing the questions was not coincidental. In reviewing a recent decision of the Complaints Commissioner the impression with which we were left, unfortunately, was that of a toothless paper tiger rubber stamp. "The Commissioner does not meet with the complainant or the lawyer" should be a dead giveaway.
Mr. Perry can be reached at:
P.O. Box 2234
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 3R5
Wonder how much he's paid per review?
Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
posted by Clare L. Pieuk at 7:26 PM
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