Background Part 3 - Complaints Section 68 – Conduct complaints: consideration by relevant professional organisations
182.This section amends sections 47 of the 2007 Act (which relates to conduct complaints). The changes to section 47 ensure that an investigation report on a conduct complaint by a relevant professional organisation is also sent to the Commission. The changes also allow a relevant professional organisation to proceed with the investigation of a conduct complaint even if the complaint is withdrawn. This ensures that concerns about a person’s conduct can still be investigated and dealt with appropriately by the relevant professional organisation where a complainer decides not to continue with their complaint. It also allows a relevant professional organisation to discontinue an investigation of a conduct complaint, or reinstate a discontinued investigation, if it is in the public interest to do so. It also requires the relevant professional organisation, when considering what action (if any) to take, to take into account any decision taken by the Commission in respect of a services complaint against the practitioner where the services complaint arises from the same matter to which the conduct complaint relates.