Terms and Conditions

Thank you for visiting Ashley Murray Chambers Website.

All visitors to this website are subject to the following terms and conditions:-

Please read this carefully.

Feedback

Ashley welcomes feedback generally from the professional and lay clients who use his services as to the quality of the service he has provided.

Data Protection Act

Ashley is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Equality & Diversity

Ashley is fully committed and is in compliance with the mandatory requirements of the Bar Council; the Bar Code of Conduct; and The Equality and Diversity Code. A copy of Ashley’s Equality & Diversity Policy is available on request at 0151 559 3285 or ashley@amchambers.co.uk

General

This Website (“The Website”) has been prepared for information purposes only.

Access to this Website or downloading materials from this Website is done by you in accordance with the Terms and Conditions (as amended from time to time) set out below.  Where you are using the Website in the course of your business, you agree to these terms on behalf of that business.  If you do not agree with the terms (or are not authorised to do so) you should not access this Website.

Access to and use of this site is subject to the following terms. By using and accessing this site you agree to be bound by these terms, which take effect immediately on your first and all subsequent visits to this site. These terms may be changed at any time and without notice by posting changes here. You should review these terms regularly to ensure that you are aware of any and all changes. Continued use of the Website, after changes to these terms are posted, means that you have agreed to be bound by these terms as updated and/or amended.

Failure by Ashley Murray Chambers to exercise or enforce any right conferred upon it shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any such right nor operate so as to bar the exercise or enforcement of that or any other right on any later occasion.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and will be interpreted in accordance with English law. The English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any claim or dispute which may arise out of or in connection with these Website Terms and Conditions.

Disclaimer

The information and any commentary on the law contained on this Website, including handouts, seminar notes, and publications, is provided free of charge for information purposes only and do not constitute legal or other advice. Every reasonable effort is made to make the information and commentary accurate and up to date, but no responsibility for its accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed by Ashley Murray Chambers.

The information and commentary does not, and is not intended to, amount to legal advice to any person on a specific case or matter. You are advised to obtain specific, personal advice from a lawyer about your case or matter and not to rely on the information or comments on this site.

Ashley Murray Chambers does not accept any responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance upon information published on this Website. In no circumstances will Ashley or Ashley Murray Chambers be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this Website.

Through this Website you are able to link to other Websites which are not under the control of Ashley Murray Chambers. Neither Ashley nor Ashley Murray Chambers has control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorsement the views expressed within them.

Every effort is made to keep the Website up and running smoothly. However, neither Ashley nor Ashley Murray Chambers takes responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the Website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

© Copyright and Links

All information, data and materials used in the Website are protected by rights, including copyright, design rights, database rights and trade marks. All these rights are either owned by Ashley or Ashley Murray Chambers or licensed to the same by the rights owner(s) for use with the Website or otherwise used by Ashley or Ashley Murray Chambers as permitted by applicable law.

The materials published on this Website are, unless otherwise stated, the copyright works of Ashley or Ashley Murray Chambers and/or the individual Member/s of Chambers.

You may:

You may not republish any content or material available on this Website on any other public Website or alerter service without our prior written consent. You may not create a link to any part of our Website, without our prior written consent.

No other use of the materials published on this Website is permitted without the express prior written consent of Ashley or Ashley Murray Chambers.

Authorised Use Policy

You agree to use the Website as permitted by these Terms and for lawful purposes only. In particular, you agree not to:-

Privacy Policy

Any personal information that Ashley or Ashley Murray Chambers collect from you will only be used in the strictest confidence.  Please click here.

Equality Policy

Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers are committed to equal opportunities in all work undertaken.

Ashley is committed to observe the Bar Council Code of Conduct in relation to non discrimination in all his dealings in relation to the work he undertakes

All his employees are similarly committed to comply with this Policy.

STATEMENT

i) suggesting that sexual favours may in some way further a persons career or that refusing sexual favours                                     may damage it.

ii) compromising suggestions or invitations.

iii) Display of pornographic or offensive material including on computer screens.

iv) Offensive remarks or ridicule.

v) Jokes or abuse.

vi) Exclusion from social networks and activities.

Harassment on any of the grounds mentioned above is a form of discrimination and will not be tolerate. Ashley and                  his employees have a personal responsibility to behave in a manner which is not offensive to others.

i) Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers will make all reasonable adjustments where required to ensure that                                   those who suffer from a disability are not unjustifiably disadvantaged in comparison with persons who are                                     not disabled.

ii) Acts of discrimination or harassment by employees or counsel will normally result in disciplinary action.                                 Ashley’s and Ashley Murray Chambers’ employees are required to co-operate in any measures introduced                                     designed to ensure equal opportunity and non-discrimination and to draw to the attention of Ashley any                                         suspected discriminatory acts or practices.

Compliance

Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers’ Equality Policy is designed to ensure that all anti-discrimination legislation is fully complied with.

Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers is also fully committed to the following guidance given in various Codes of Practice and Guidance:-

i) The Equal Opportunities Commission Code of Practice on sex discrimination, equal opportunity policies,                                   procedures and practices in employment.

ii) The Commission for Racial Equality Code of Practice on racial equality in employment.

iii) The Disability rights Commission Code of Practice Employment and occupation.

iv) The Guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of                                     disability.

v) The Equal Opportunities Commission Code of Practice on Equal Pay.

vi) Age diversity at work: A practical guide for business.

vii) The Equality Code for the Bar.

Extent

Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers accepts this policy applies to all aspects of Chambers’ activities.

Monitoring

Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers recognises that monitoring is essential so as to ensure effective implementation of its Equality Policy and as such Ashley and Ashley Murray Chambers will ensure that the same will be analysed at least annually by Ashley.

Complaints Procedure

Should you as a professional client or as a lay client have a complaint please first raise the matter with Ashley direct (a lay client may wish to do so with the assistance of the solicitor he has instructed, but this is not a requirement).

There is no embarrassment caused and no offence will be taken if you have a concern about any aspect of the work undertaken for you by Ashley.

Ashley will himself be concerned both professionally and personally to address any complaint as soon as possible and to attempt to satisfy you that all steps available to him have and will be taken in regard to the matters involved.

Ashley wants to remind you that to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman who investigates complaints about Members of the Bar, you will have 12 months from the act of omission complained of from when you as or the complainant should reasonably have known there was a cause for complaint without taking advice from a third party. This date limit can be extended in exceptional circumstances.

Ashley must therefore have regard to that timeframe when deciding whether they are able to investigate your complaint. You should know Ashley will not therefore usually deal with complaints that fall outside this time limit.

Ashley asks that you take note that the Legal Ombudsman will only deal with complaints from consumers. Ie in this context that means only complaints from the barrister’s client are within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. Persons who are not clients and who are unsatisfied with the outcome of Ashley’s treatment of any complaint about his services should contact the Bar Standards Board (‘BSB’) rather than the Legal Ombudsman.

Ashley wishes you to note that It should be noted that it may not always be possible to investigate complaints brought by a person who is not a client are usually better dealt with under the disciplinary processes maintained by the BSB. Accordingly, in the event of you bringing a compliant to Ashley’s attention he will endeavour as soon as possible to assess first whether the complaint can be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties by any action to be taken by himself and, if not, he will advise you to contact the Bar Standards Board.

Ashley requests that you should understand that a complaint may be made in writing or if orally it may be made by telephone to Ashley. In the first instance the matters raised will be set down in writing and any suggestions you may have as to how the problem should be resolved will be recorded.

Ashley will ensure that you are sent a copy of the record made of the matters raised and discussed and attempt to resolve the same and if that is possible you will be requested to confirm the details of the written record made and the outcome achieved. You will no doubt also have made your own record of what has been discussed and this Ashley encourages you to do so.

 

Ashley wishes you to understand that if your complaint cannot be resolved on the telephone you are invited to write to him setting out the terms of the complaint made so the matter can be formally enquired into by Ashley. In this event, it would assist if you would:-

Provide details of your name and address; the detail of the complaint made; and what you want done in regard to it.

That letter should be addressed to Ashley at Ashley Murray Chambers, Horton House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool L2 3PF.

Upon receipt of the written complaint you will receive a receipt within 72 hours and details of how the complaint is to be dealt with by Ashley.

Within 14 days, Ashley will aim to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction and, if that is not possible, unless you agree otherwise in writing, he will refer you on to the BSB.

 

Ashley will provide you with a written detail of the way he seeks to resolve the matter, setting out the complaint made and whether he agrees that there is a justified basis for the complaint made and if so the ways in which the same can be resolved and the reasons why that resolution would be the most appropriate outcome.

 

Ashley will ensure at all times that the details of the complaint are treated confidentially and that if he has to involve any other persons in the investigation, you are informed in advance and agree that he should do so on the basis of a ‘needs only’ disclosure policy and with anonymity as a default approach o the investigation unless you agree otherwise.

 

Ashley will as part of his commitment to client care make a written record of any complaint and retain all documents and correspondence created by the complaint for a period of 6 years.

 

Ashley wishes you to understand that in the event that you are unhappy with the outcome of our investigation and you are able to do so you are at liberty to take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for complaints about barristers, at the conclusion of his consideration of your complaint. The Ombudsman is not able to consider your complaint until it has first been investigated by Ashley. Please again note the time limits mentioned above in relation to referring matters to the Legal Ombudsman.

You can write to the Legal Ombudsman at P.O. Box 15870, Birmingham, B30 9EB

Tel: 0300 555 0333. Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

In the event you are not a client of Ashley’s but are unhappy about some aspect of the services he has provided or the investigation he has undertaken with regard to a complaint then please contact the Bar Standards Board at:

Bar Standards Board

Professional Conduct Department

289-293 High Holborn

London

WC1V 7JZ

Tel Number: 0207 6111 444

Website: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

The New Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons