Justice delayed is justice denied — and this principle applies just as strongly to regulation as it does to courts.
One of the most consistent concerns raised in Western Australia prior to its parliamentary inquiry was delay.
Practising certificates took months to process. Complaints and investigations stretched into years. Communication stalled.
Victoria has heard similar concerns.
Delays in legal regulation are not administrative inconveniences. They carry real consequences. A delayed investigation can suspend careers in limbo. A prolonged complaint can exhaust financial resources, damage mental health and erode professional standing — even where no wrongdoing is ultimately found.
Regulators often defend delay as the price of thoroughness. But this presents a false choice. Efficient regulation and careful investigation are not mutually exclusive. In fact, excessive delay undermines regulatory objectives by creating harm unrelated to public protection.
Unlike many professions, lawyers under investigation often face restrictions on practice long before findings are made. When those restrictions persist for years, the process itself becomes punitive.
This is not merely a practitioner issue. Delays affect clients, courts and public confidence in the justice system. They raise serious questions about proportionality and fairness — key pillars of legitimate regulation.T
he WA inquiry made clear that process integrity matters as much as enforcement outcomes. Victoria would benefit from a similar examination of whether its regulatory timelines remain fit for purpose.
An independent inquiry could assess whether current delays are systemic, whether resources are appropriately allocated, and whether alternative regulatory approaches could resolve matters earlier — and more justly.
Efficiency is not about speed for its own sake. It is about fairness, accountability and the responsible use of power.