Legal Services Bill [HL]

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Legal Services Bill [HL]

Legal Services Bill [HL]
Part 8 — Miscellaneous provisions about lawyers etc
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(6)
In section 280 (privilege for communications with patent agents), in subsection
(3), at the end of paragraph (b) insert—
“(ba)
an unincorporated body (other than a partnership) entitled to
describe itself as a patent attorney, or”.
187
Immigration advisers and immigration service providers
5
(1)
Schedule 18 makes provision relating to Part 5 of the Immigration and Asylum
Act 1999 (c. 33) (immigration advisers and immigration service providers).
(2)
In that Schedule—
(a)
Part 1 makes provision for approved regulators to become qualifying
regulators for the purposes of Part 5 of the Immigration and Asylum
10
Act 1999,
(b)
Part 2 contains amendments of that Act (which amongst other things
enable persons authorised by qualifying regulators to provide
immigration advice and immigration services in England and Wales),
and
15
(c)
Part 3 makes provision for certain persons to be treated, during a
transitional period, as authorised by qualifying regulators to provide
such advice and services.
188
Claims management services
Schedule 19 contains amendments of Part 2 of the Compensation Act 2006 (c.
20
29) (claims management services).
Advocates and litigators
189
Duties of advocates and litigators
(1)
This section applies to a person who—
(a)
exercises before any court a right of audience, or
25
(b)
conducts litigation in relation to proceedings in any court,

by virtue of being an authorised person in relation to the activity in question.
(2)
A person to whom this section applies has a duty to the court in question to act
with independence in the interests of justice.
(3)
That duty, and the duty to comply with relevant conduct rules imposed on the
30
person by section 177(1), override any obligations which the person may have
(otherwise than under the criminal law) if they are inconsistent with them.
(4)
“Relevant conduct rules” are the conduct rules of the relevant authorising body
which relate to the exercise of a right of audience or the conduct of litigation.
(5)
The relevant authorising body is—
35
(a)
the approved regulator by which the person is authorised to exercise
the right of audience or conduct the litigation, or
(b)
where the person is authorised to exercise the right of audience or
conduct the litigation by the Board in its capacity as a licensing
authority, the Board.
40

Legal Services Bill [HL]
Part 8 — Miscellaneous provisions about lawyers etc
103

190
Employed advocates
(1)
This section applies where an authorised person in relation to the exercise of a
right of audience is employed as a Crown Prosecutor or in any other
description of employment.
(2)
Qualification regulations or conduct rules of the approved regulator by whom
5
the person is authorised to carry on that activity which relate to the right of
audience do not have effect in relation to the person if—
(a)
they—
(i)
limit the courts before which, or proceedings in which, that
activity may be carried on by persons who are employed, or
10
(ii)
limit the circumstances in which that activity may be carried on
by persons who are employed by requiring such persons to be
accompanied by some other person when carrying on that
activity, and
(b)
they do not impose the same limitation on persons who are authorised
15
persons in relation to the activity in question but are not employed.
Legal professional privilege
191
Legal professional privilege
(1)
Subsection (2) applies to any communication made to or by an individual (“P”)
who is not a barrister or solicitor at any time when P is—
20
(a)
providing advocacy services as an authorised person in relation to the
exercise of rights of audience,
(b)
providing litigation services as an authorised person in relation to the
conduct of litigation,
(c)
providing conveyancing services as an authorised person in relation to
25
reserved instrument activities, or
(d)
providing probate services as an authorised person in relation to
probate activities.
(2)
Any such communication is, in any legal proceedings, to be privileged from
disclosure in like manner as if P had at all material times been acting as P’s
30
client’s solicitor.
(3)
Subsection (4) applies where—
(a)
a communication is made to or by a licensed body (“B”) at a time when
the body is providing services to a client, and
(b)
the individual (“E”) through whom the body provides those services—
35
(i)
is a relevant lawyer, or
(ii)
acts at the direction and under the supervision of a relevant
lawyer (“the supervisor”).
(4)
The communication is, in any legal proceedings, to be privileged from
disclosure only if, and to the extent that, it would have been privileged from
40
disclosure if—
(a)
the services had been provided by E or, if E is not a relevant lawyer, by
the supervisor,
(b)
the communication had been to or by E, and
(c)
at all material times the client had been the client of E or, if E is not a
45
relevant lawyer, of the supervisor.

Legal Services Bill [HL]
Part 8 — Miscellaneous provisions about lawyers etc
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(5)
“Relevant lawyer” means an individual who is—
(a)
a solicitor;
(b)
a barrister;
(c)
a solicitor in Scotland;
(d)
an advocate in Scotland;
5
(e)
a solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland;
(f)
a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland;
(g)
a registered foreign lawyer (within the meaning of section 89 of the
Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41));
(h)
an individual not within paragraphs (a) to (g) who is an authorised
10
person in relation to an activity which is a reserved legal activity; or
(i)
a European lawyer (within the meaning of the European Communities
(Services of Lawyers) Order 1978 (S.I. 1978/1910)).
(6)
In this section—
“advocacy services” means any services which it would be reasonable to
15
expect a person who is exercising, or contemplating exercising, a right
of audience in relation to any proceedings, or contemplated
proceedings, to provide;
“litigation services” means any services which it would be reasonable to
expect a person who is exercising, or contemplating exercising, a right
20
to conduct litigation in relation to any proceedings, or contemplated
proceedings, to provide;
“conveyancing services” means the preparation of transfers, conveyances,
contracts and other documents in connection with, and other services
ancillary to, the disposition or acquisition of estates or interests in land;
25
“probate services” means the preparation of any papers on which to
found or oppose a grant of probate or a grant of letters of
administration and the administration of the estate of a deceased
person.
(7)
This section is without prejudice to any other enactment or rule of law by
30
virtue of which a communication is privileged from disclosure.
Employees of housing management bodies
192
Rights of audience etc of employees of housing management bodies
After section 60 of the County Courts Act 1984 (c. 28) insert—
“60A
Rights of audience etc of employees of housing management bodies
35
(1)
An employee of a housing management body who is authorised by that
body for the purposes of this section has—
(a)
a right of audience in relation to any proceedings to which this
section applies, and
(b)
a right to conduct litigation in relation to any such proceedings.
40
(2)
This section applies to relevant housing proceedings in a county court
before a district judge which are brought—
(a)
in the name of a local housing authority, and

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(b)
by the housing management body in the exercise of functions of
that local housing authority delegated to that body under a
housing management agreement.
(3)
“Relevant housing proceedings” are—
(a)
proceedings under section 82A of the Housing Act 1985
5
(demotion because of anti-social behaviour);
(b)
proceedings for possession of a dwelling-house subject to a
secure tenancy, where possession is sought on ground 2 in Part
1 of Schedule 2 to that Act (anti-social behaviour);
(c)
proceedings for possession of a dwelling-house subject to a
10
demoted tenancy;
(d)
proceedings for a suspension order under section 121A of the
Housing Act 1985 (suspension of right to buy);
(e)
proceedings under section 153A, 153B or 153D of the Housing
Act 1996 (injunctions against anti-social behaviour);
15
(f)
proceedings for the attachment of a power of arrest to an
injunction by virtue of section 91(2) of the Anti-social Behaviour
Act 2003 or section 27(2) of the Police and Justice Act 2006
(proceedings under section 222 of the Local Government Act
1972: power of arrest attached to injunction);
20
(g)
at a hearing at which a decision is made in relation to
proceedings within paragraphs (a) to (f), proceedings for
permission to appeal against that decision;
(h)
such other proceedings as the Lord Chancellor may prescribe
by order.
25
(4)
An authorisation for the purposes of this section must be in writing.
(5)
The power to make an order under subsection (3)(h) is exercisable by
statutory instrument subject to annulment by resolution of either
House of Parliament.
(6)
In subsection (3)(e) the reference to section 153A of the Housing Act
30
1996 is a reference to that section—
(a)
as inserted by section 13 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003,
or
(b)
as substituted by section 26 of the Police and Justice Act 2006.
(7)
In this section—
35
“dwelling-house” has the same meaning as in Part 4 of the
Housing Act 1985;
“housing management agreement” means an agreement under
section 27 of the Housing Act 1985 (including an agreement to
which section 27B(2) or (3) of that Act applies);
40
“housing management body” means a person who exercises
management functions of a local housing authority by virtue of
a housing management agreement;
“local housing authority” has the same meaning as in section 27 of
the Housing Act 1985;
45
“right of audience” means the right to appear before and address
a court, including the right to call and examine witnesses;
“right to conduct litigation” means the right—

Legal Services Bill [HL]
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(a)
to issue proceedings before any court in England and
Wales,
(b)
to commence, prosecute and defend such proceedings,
and
(c)
to perform any ancillary functions in relation to such
5
proceedings (such as entering appearances to actions);
“secure tenancy” has the same meaning as in Part 4 of the Housing
Act 1985.”
Savings
193
Powers of court in respect of rights of audience and conduct of litigation
10
(1)
Nothing in this Act affects the power of any court in any proceedings to refuse
to hear a person (for reasons which apply to that person as an individual) who
would otherwise have a right of audience before the court in relation to those
proceedings.
(2)
Where a court refuses to hear a person as mentioned in subsection (1), it must
15
give its reasons for refusing.
(3)
Where—
(a)
immediately before the commencement of section 13 (entitlement to
carry on reserved legal activities), or
(b)
by virtue of any provision made by or under an enactment passed
20
subsequently,

a court does not permit the appearance of advocates, or permits the appearance
of advocates only with leave, no person may exercise a right of audience before
the court, in relation to any proceedings, solely by virtue of being entitled to do
so under this Act.
25
(4)
But a court may not limit the right to appear before the court in any
proceedings to only some of those who are entitled to exercise that right by
virtue of this Act.
(5)
A court may not limit the right to conduct litigation in relation to proceedings
before the court to only some of those who are entitled to exercise that right by
30
virtue of this Act.
(6)
In this section “advocate”, in relation to any proceedings, means a person
exercising a right of audience as a representative of, or on behalf of, any party
to the proceedings.
194
Solicitors to public departments and the City of London
35
(1)
Nothing in this Act is to prejudice or affect any rights or privileges of—
(a)
the Treasury Solicitor,
(b)
the solicitor to any other public department,
(c)
the solicitor to the Church Commissioners, or
(d)
the solicitor to the Duchy of Cornwall.
40
(2)
Nothing in this Act requires a person to whom subsection (1) applies, or any
clerk or officer appointed to act for such a person, to be entitled to carry on an
activity which is a reserved legal activity in any case where, by virtue of section
88(1) of the Solicitors Act 1974 (c. 47), it would not have been necessary for that

Legal Services Bill [HL]
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person to be admitted and enrolled and to hold a practising certificate under
that Act if this Act had not been passed.
(3)
Nothing in this Act is to prejudice or affect any rights or privileges which
immediately before the commencement of this Act attached to the office of
Solicitor of the City of London.
5
(4)
Nothing in section 17 (offence to pretend to be entitled) applies to a person to
whom subsection (1) applies, or any clerk or officer appointed to act for such a
person, or to the Solicitor of the City of London.
(5)
A person who—
(a)
exercises before any court a right of audience, or
10
(b)
conducts litigation in relation to proceedings in any court,

by virtue of this section has a duty to the court in question to act with
independence in the interests of justice.
(6)
That duty overrides any obligations which the person may have (otherwise
than under the criminal law) if it is inconsistent with them.
15
Pro bono representation
195
Payments in respect of pro bono representation
(1)
This section applies to proceedings in a civil court in which—
(a)
a party to the proceedings (“P”) is or was represented by a legal
representative (“R”), and
20
(b)
R’s representation of P is or was provided free of charge, in whole or in
part.
(2)
This section applies to such proceedings even if P is or was also represented by
a legal representative not acting free of charge.
(3)
The court may order any person to make a payment to the prescribed charity
25
in respect of R’s representation of P (or, if only part of R’s representation of P
was provided free of charge, in respect of that part).
(4)
In considering whether to make such an order and the terms of such an order,
the court must have regard to—
(a)
whether, had R’s representation of P not been provided free of charge,
30
it would have ordered the person to make a payment to P in respect of
the costs payable to R by P in respect of that representation, and
(b)
if it would, what the terms of the order would have been.
(5)
The court may not make an order under subsection (3) against a person
represented in the proceedings if the person’s representation was at all times
35
within subsection (6).
(6)
Representation is within this subsection if it is—
(a)
provided by a legal representative acting free of charge, or
(b)
funded by the Legal Services Commission as part of the Community
Legal Service.
40
(7)
Rules of court may make further provision as to the making of orders under
subsection (3), and may in particular—

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(a)
provide that such orders may not be made in civil proceedings of a
description specified in the rules;
(b)
make provision about the procedure to be followed in relation to such
orders;
(c)
specify matters (in addition to those mentioned in subsection (4)) to
5
which the court must have regard in deciding whether to make such an
order, and the terms of any order.
(8)
“The prescribed charity” means the charity prescribed by order made by the
Lord Chancellor.
(9)
An order under subsection (8) may only prescribe a charity which—
10
(a)
is registered under section 3 of the Charities Act 1993 (c. 10), and
(b)
provides financial support to persons who provide, or organise or
facilitate the provision of, legal advice or assistance (by way of
representation or otherwise) which is free of charge.
(10)
In this section—
15
“legal representative”, in relation to a party to proceedings, means a
person exercising a right of audience or conducting litigation on the
party’s behalf;
“civil court” means the civil division of the Court of Appeal, the High
Court, or any county court;
20
“free of charge” means otherwise than for or in expectation of fee, gain or
reward.
(11)
The court may not make an order under subsection (3) in respect of
representation if (or to the extent that) it is provided before this section comes
into force.
25
Scotland
196
Application of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007
(1)
The Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 5) (“the 2007 Act”)
applies to—
(a)
any element of a complaint relating to,
30
(b)
the provision by a practitioner of,
the advice, services and activities mentioned in subsection (2) as it applies to
any other advice, services and activities provided by a practitioner.
(2)
The advice, services and activities are—
(a)
activities carried out by virtue of a group licence issued under section
35
22(1)(b) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (c. 39);
(b)
activities of an insolvency practitioner within the meaning of Part 13 of
the Insolvency Act 1986 (c. 45);
(c)
activities mentioned in paragraph (a) of paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 3 to
the Financial Services Act 1986 (c. 60);
40
(d)
immigration advice or immigration services;
(e)
regulated activity within the meaning of section 22 of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (c. 8), other than activity falling within
paragraph (f) below, in respect of which the Financial Services
Authority has by virtue of Part 20 of that Act arranged for its regulatory
45
role to be carried out by the Law Society of Scotland;