Part V – Employment of solicitors by SLAB

Employment to which Part V applies

26.^[1]  (1)    This Part of this Act applies to the employment of solicitors by the Board for any of the following purposes

(a)          [2]giving advice and assistance to which Part II of this Act applies either generally or in cases of any such description as may be prescribed by regulations made under this section;

(b)          acting for persons receiving legal aid, either generally or in cases of any such description as may be prescribed by regulations made under this section;

(c)          providing any such services as are mentioned in subsection (2) below.

(2)^[3]    The services referred to in subsection (1)(c) above are services provided by a solicitor for or in connection with any organisation and consisting of

(a)          ^[4]assisting the organisation in any function it has of giving advice and guidance to applicants;

(b)          promoting contacts between the organisation and solicitors practising in the locality for which the organisation is established, with a view to enabling applicants to obtain the professional services of those solicitors in cases where those services are required;

(c)          giving oral advice to applicants, instead of referring them to other solicitors, in cases which can be readily disposed of by such advice.

(3)    In subsection (2) above

(a)          ^[5]” organisation” means an organisation concerned (whether wholly or partly) in the giving of advice or guidance (whether generally or with respect to any particular classes of matters) to persons residing in the locality for which the organisation is established;  and

(b)          “applicants”, in relation to such an organisation, means persons who apply to the organisation for advice or guidance or are referred to it with a view to their receiving advice or guidance from it.

(4)    In this section “organisation” includes a branch or section of an organisation; and, in relation to such a branch or section, any reference to the locality for which the organisation is established shall be construed as a reference to the locality for which the branch or section is established.

Arrangements for employment to which Part V applies

27.^[6]  (1)^[7]  The Secretary of State may, by regulations made under this section, make provision as to the employment of solicitors under this Part of this Act and as to the circumstances in which solicitors may be so employed.

(1A)

^[8]    The provisions of paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 to this Act shall apply to solicitors employed by the Board by virtue of subsection (1) as they apply to employees appointed by the Board under that paragraph.

(2)^[9]    [Repealed]

(3)^[10]    [Repealed]

General provisions relating to employment to which Part V applies

28.^[11]  (1)    In relation to any solicitor who is employed by the Board in employment to which this Part of this Act applies, and in relation to any work performed, or other thing done or omitted to be done, by any such solicitor in the course of that employment

(a)          the enactments relating to solicitors, and

(b)          any rule of law which relates to solicitors, or is applicable to things done, or omitted to be done, by solicitors in their capacity as solicitors,

shall have effect as if the Board were a firm of solicitors.

(2)    Nothing in subsection (1) above shall prohibit 2 or more solicitors employed by the Board in employment to which this Part of this Act applies from acting (including acting in any proceedings) for different parties having opposing or otherwise different interests in relation to the same matter.

Power of Board to employ solicitors to provide criminal assistance

28A.^[12]  (1)    The Secretary of State may, in accordance with the provisions of this section, provide for the carrying out of a study into the feasibility of providing criminal legal assistance by means of solicitors employed directly by the Board and, accordingly, may by regulations made under this section empower the Board to employ solicitors for the purpose of providing criminal legal assistance.

(2)^[13]  [Repealed].

(3)^[14]  [Repealed].

(4)    The provisions of paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 to this Act shall apply to solicitors employed by the Board by virtue of this section as they apply to employees appointed by the Board under that paragraph.

(5)    Regulations made by the Secretary of State under this section may make such provision as appears to him to be appropriate for the purposes of this section and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, may –

(a)          specify in which area or areas employed solicitors are to be used;  and

(b)          make different provision in relation to different areas.

(6)    Regulations under this section may provide that where the Board has by virtue of this section employed solicitors to provide criminal legal assistance in any area, the Board may, subject to subsection (7) below, require as many of the persons seeking criminal legal assistance in that area as it consider appropriate to instruct the solicitors employed by it.

(7)    In requiring persons seeking criminal legal assistance to instruct solicitors employed by the Board, the Board shall, where there is or may be a conflict of interest, make provision for any particular person to be re-allocated to another solicitor or, where registration is in force, to a registered solicitor in the area.

(8)    Regulations made under this section may make such transitional and consequential provisions and savings as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient.

(9)    Sections 26, 27 and 28 of this Act shall not apply in relation to solicitors employed by the Board by virtue of this section.

(9A)^[15]  Before 31 December 2008, the Scottish Ministers shall lay before the Parliament a report on the progress of the feasibility study.

(10) – (15) ^[16] [Repealed].

[1] This section was brought into force as at 2 November 2001 by virtue of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2001.
[2] As amended by Section 9 of the Convention Rights (Compliance) (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp7), in force from 6 July 2001, to the extent of adding the words “… either generally or in cases of any such description as may be prescribed by regulations made under this section.”
[3] As amended by the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, section 74 (in force from 30 July 2007), to the extent of repealing “local”.
[4] As amended by the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, section 74 (in force from 30 July 2007), to the extent of substituting “any function it has” for “its functions”.
[5] As amended by the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, section 74 (in force from 30 July 2007), to the extent of repealing “local” and inserting “(whether wholly or partly)”.
[6] This section was brought into force as at 2 November 2001 by virtue of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2001.
[7] Regulations have been introduced in terms of this subsection.  The Legal Aid (Employment of Solicitors) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 [S.S.I. 2001 No. 392] came into force on 19 November 2001.
[8] Inserted by the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, section 74 (in force from 30 July 2007).
[9] Repealed by the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, section 74 (in force from 30 July 2007).
[10] Repealed by the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, section 74 (in force from 30 July 2007).
[11] This section was brought into force as at 2 November 2001 by virtue of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2001.
[12] Inserted by the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 (c.48), section 50 (in force from 1 October 1997 for all purposes).  The regulations made under this section are the Scottish Legal Aid Board (Employment of Solicitors to Provide Criminal Legal Assistance) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998 No. 1938) which came into force on 1 October 1998.  This section shall cease to have effect five years after that date.
[13] Repealed by Section 73 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 7) (in force from 27 June 2003).
[14] Repealed by Section 73 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 7) (in force from 27 June 2003).
[15] Inserted by Section 73 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 7) (in force from 27  June 2003).
[16] Repealed by Section 73 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 7) (in force from 27 June 2003).