Complaints against members

Background procedure

The sanctions available, under the CII Disciplinary Scheme, apply to Members of the CII and some non-Members (for example, examination entrants) who have agreed to be bound by the Laws of the CII (defined as the Charter, Bye-laws, Regulations, Codes and other requirements of the CII).

All CII Members commit to upholding professional standards when they join the CII. The CII’s Code of Ethics sets out principles which Members are expected to follow.

Non-Members taking CII examinations or assessments are also obliged to adhere to the rules set out for those services.

As the CII is committed to professionalism, misconduct is viewed very seriously because it reflects badly on the Institute and its Membership. Sanctions handed down by the Disciplinary Committee or the CII can be found here.

The CII considers each complaint on its own merits before deciding whether to investigate further. If we decide we cannot pursue a complaint it will be because it is not practical or justified. The CII’s internal policies prevent the CII from investigating complaints where 12 months have passed since the events complained of took place or since the complainant became (or should reasonably have been) aware that the events complained of took place. Other examples of complaints which are unlikely to be taken forward are:

• Where Members cannot be identified
• Where complaints are made with the primary intention of causing annoyance, or embarrassment or are of a vexatious or frivolous nature
• Where sufficient evidence is not available
• Where the scope of the complaint falls within the remit of the regulatory authorities (e.g. the Financial Conduct Authority or the Financial Ombudsman Service in the UK) or the courts

If we cannot investigate a complaint we will write to you explaining why and, where possible, advise of an alternative route of complaint.

How to make a complaint

To make a complaint use the Complaints against Members form (PDF), and email it to either complaintsagainstciiMembers@cii.co.uk or post to: Legal Department, Chartered Insurance Institute, 3rd Floor, 20 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BY

Please note that:

1. The CII has no authority to impose an order for financial award (including compensation) to the complainant in any circumstances. If you require financial redress you will need to submit your complaint to the relevant regulator and/or consider a claim against the other party’s professional indemnity insurance where appropriate.
2. Making a complaint against a CII member is not a substitute for taking legal action where appropriate. If a complaint is currently or likely to be before the courts then the complaint will be stayed pending the determination of the courts. Please note that if there are no findings that the member has acted inappropriately, we will not be able to progress your complaint.
3. If the complaint is being investigated by any other professional or regulatory body or other tribunal, then the CII will stay the complaint pending the determination of the other proceedings.
4. Not all errors made by a member will necessarily imply a breach of the Code of Ethics or lead to disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may be appropriate, however, where errors are of a significant volume to indicate a possible lack of professional competence.
5. If a member has given advice which, in hindsight, turns out to have been flawed, and as a result of which you have suffered loss, this is a matter for their or their firm’s professional indemnity insurers and you may need to seek legal advice on this.
6. Before the CII can consider your complaint, the member should have been given an opportunity to resolve the matter through their internal complaints procedures where appropriate. If you have not given the member the opportunity to rectify the issues, please provide details as to why you have not done so at the time of submission of your complaint for consideration.

Please note that the CII is not the appropriate forum to make technical determinations with regard to any advice given. This is an issue for the courts or the appropriate regulator.

Investigation and disciplinary process

An acknowledgement will be despatched to you within 10 business days of the CII receiving a complaint.

For any of the below, please refer to the relevant pages.

• For complaints registered with the CII pre-February 2020.
• For complaints registered with the CII from 1 February 2020.
• Information regarding the process for disciplinary hearings.

Due to the different nature and complexity of the complaints received by the CII, it is not possible to provide a timescale for the completion of complaints. It is of paramount importance that any complaint that goes before the CII has been thoroughly investigated and all relevant lines of enquiry are followed up to ensure that the process is fair to both the Complainant, Respondent and the CII’s stakeholders.