Explanatory note

Sections 152 and 168 of the Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29) set out the circumstances in which the Office for Legal Complaints and the Legal Services Board respectively may disclose restricted information (information obtained in the exercise of their regulatory functions, principally during the investigation of a complaint). This Order specifies additional persons to whom the Office for Legal Complaints and the Legal Services Board may disclose restricted information and prescribes the purposes for which it may be disclosed.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared for the Legal Services Bill in November 2006 and supplemented in June 2007. In addition an Impact Assessment has been prepared specifically for this Order. That Impact Assessment is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside this instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.