The Legal Services Commission is the peak regulatory body for the legal profession in Queensland. We are an independent statutory authority and operate under the Legal Profession Act 2007 (the Act).
We receive and investigate complaints about the conduct of lawyers, their employees and people who act as a lawyer when they are not qualified.
We also conduct compliance audits on certain law practices and can initiate investigations if we have information about a potential conduct issue.
Our role is instrumental in maintaining the professional standards of legal practitioners, and public trust and confidence in the administration of justice.
We co-regulate with the Bar Association of Queensland (BAQ) and the Queensland Law Society (QLS)—the professional representative bodies of barristers and solicitors respectively.
Under the Act, the BAQ and QLS issue and regulate practising certificates and set legal profession rules. The QLS also audits solicitors' trust accounts and other practice matters.
The Legal Services Commissioner can refer professional conduct investigations involving barristers to the BAQ.
In some circumstances, the Commissioner can investigate conduct of interstate legal practitioners that occurred partly or wholly in Queensland.
The Legal Services Commissioner ensures complaints are dealt with thoroughly, fairly and transparently.
The Commissioner is an independent statutory officer appointed under the Act by the Governor in Council.
The Commission supports the Commissioner in discharging their statutory duties.
Megan Mahon was appointed as the Legal Services Commissioner for Queensland on 16 October 2019.
Commissioner Mahon has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1996.
She was President of the Queensland Law Society in 2007, was appointed a Notary Public in 2011, and became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law in 2012.
Over her distinguished 20-year career in private practice, Commissioner Mahon was awarded the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland’s 2009 Woman Lawyer of the Year, and the 2017 Queensland Law Society President’s Medal.
