Legal Services Board

Maintaining a practising certificate

Compliance and Enforcement

The Board’s statutory objectives include ensuring the effective regulation of the legal profession in Victoria.  The Board has a broad range of compliance and enforcement powers under the Legal Profession Act 2004 (the Act) to support its regulatory objectives, including:

The Board has issued a statement setting out its strategic approach to regulation. 

For more information about the Board’s objectives and regulatory statement, go to About the Board.

Enforcement Response

The Board has developed a policy to guide it and its delegates in the exercise of its compliance and enforcement powers.  The policy includes a table which sets out the general criteria for exercising each level of response.  

For more information, download the Board’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy from the Publications page.

Prosecution

The Board and its delegates have the power to prosecute criminal and contempt offences under the Act.  Download a list of offences. 

The Board has developed a policy to guide the exercise of these powers. For more information, download the Board’s Prosecution Policy from the Publications page.

Breaches of any sections of the Act are also capable of constituting unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct (also known as disciplinary offences).  For more information about disciplinary offences, go to Complaints and disciplinary matters.

Removal from the Roll

The Board has a number of functions under the Act that involve considering whether to apply to the Supreme Court to remove a local lawyer from the local roll. The Board may also consider applying for removal under the inherent jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. 

The Board has developed a policy to provide guidance about applications for removal. 

For more information, download the Board’s Removal from the Roll Policy from the Publications page.