Section 37: Obtaining of information from relevant professional organisations
71.Section 37 empowers the Commission to obtain information or documents from the professional organisations, or from individual practitioners where such information is not within the knowledge of the relevant professional organisation, in order to allow the Commission to carry out its conduct complaints handling functions under sections 23 and 24 and its monitoring function under section 36 (including the function of carrying out audits). The information or documents may include information obtained from a practitioner in the course of the relevant professional body’s investigation of a conduct complaint. The professional organisation or the practitioner is required to comply with a requirement to provide such information or documents. However, in making a request for information, the Commission is not given the right to override the existing rules of legal privilege.
72.Schedule 2 makes further provision about the powers of the Commission to examine documents and demand explanations in connection with complaints.