This Operational Guidance (‘the Guidance’) has been developed to provide information to lawyers about how we deal with certain types of complaints or concerns by lawyers about other members of the profession. In particular, it provides information about complaint matters the Commissioner is unlikely to consider and reminds lawyers of their professional obligations and options for self-resolution of disputes between lawyers.

This document is not intended to cover complaints by lawyers on behalf of their clients or about the mandatory reporting of suspected misconduct of lawyers to the Commissioner – a recommendation of the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants that is currently being progressed by the Victorian Government. We will develop separate guidance for the profession on mandatory reporting, ahead of its legislative enactment..