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House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07 Internet Publications Other Bills before Parliament

Legal Services Bill [HL]

Legal Services Bill [HL]
[AS AMENDED IN PUBLIC BILL COMMITTEE]
The Bill is divided into two Volumes. Volume I contains the Clauses. Volume II
contains the Schedules to the Bill.
Contents
Part 1
The regulatory objectives
1    The regulatory objectives
Part 2
The Legal Services Board
Constitution
2    The Legal Services Board
General functions
3    The Board’s duty to promote the regulatory objectives etc
4    Standards of regulation, education and training
5    Corporate governance
6    Annual report
7    Supplementary powers
Consumer Panel
8    The Consumer Panel
9    Committees and the procedure of the Consumer Panel
10    Representations by the Consumer Panel
11    Advice and research functions of the Consumer Panel
Part 3
Reserved legal activities
Reserved legal activities
12    Meaning of “reserved legal activity” and “legal activity”
Bill 135                                                                                                 54/2
Legal Services Bill [HL] ii
Carrying on the activities
13    Entitlement to carry on a reserved legal activity
Offences
14    Offence to carry on a reserved legal activity if not entitled
15    Carrying on of a reserved legal activity: employers and employees etc
16    Offence to carry on reserved legal activity through person not entitled
17    Offence to pretend to be entitled
Interpretation
18    Authorised persons
19    Exempt persons
20    Approved regulators and relevant approved regulators
21    Regulatory arrangements
Continuity of existing rights and transitional protection
22    Continuity of existing rights to carry on reserved legal activities
23    Transitional protection for non-commercial bodies
Alteration of reserved legal activities
24    Extension of the reserved legal activities
25    Provisional designation as approved regulators and licensing authorities
26    Recommendations that activities should cease to be reserved legal activities
Part 4
Regulation of approved regulators
Introductory
27    Regulatory and representative functions of approved regulators
General duties of approved regulators
28    Approved regulator’s duty to promote the regulatory objectives etc
Separation of regulatory and representative functions
29    Prohibition on the Board interfering with representative functions
30    Rules relating to the exercise of regulatory functions
Performance targets
31    Performance targets and monitoring
Directions
32    Directions
33    Directions: procedure
34    Enforcement of directions
Legal Services Bill [HL] iii
Censure
35    Public censure
36    Public censure: procedure
Financial penalties
37    Financial penalties
38    Financial penalties: procedure
39    Appeals against financial penalties
40    Recovery of financial penalties
Intervention
41    Intervention directions
42    Intervention directions: further provision
43    Intervention directions: enforcement
44    Revocation of intervention directions
Cancellation of approval
45    Cancellation of designation as approved regulator
46    Cancellation of designation: further provision
47    The Board’s power to recommend orders made under section 46
48    Cancellation of designation: powers of entry etc
Policy statements
49    The Board’s policy statements
50    Policy statements: procedure
Practising fees
51    Control of practising fees charged by approved regulators
Regulatory conflict
52    Regulatory conflict with approved regulators
53    Modification of provision made about regulatory conflict
54    Regulatory conflict with other regulatory regimes
Information
55    Provision of information to the Board
56    Enforcement of notices under section 55
Competition
57    Reports by the OFT
58    The Board’s response to OFT report
59    Referral of report by the Lord Chancellor to the Competition Commission
60    Duties of the Competition Commission
61    Lord Chancellor’s power to give directions
Legal Services Bill [HL] iv
The Board as approved regulator
62    The Board as an approved regulator
63    The Board’s designation under section 62(1)(a)
64    Modification of the Board’s functions under section 62(1)(b)
65    Cancellation of the Board’s designation under section 62(1)(c)
66    The Board’s power to recommend orders made under section 62
67    Effect of the Board’s designation as an approved regulator
68    Regulatory conflict and the Board as approved regulator
Functions of approved regulators etc
69    Modification of the functions of approved regulators etc
70    Procedural requirements relating to recommendations under section 69
Part 5
Alternative business structures
Introductory
71    Carrying on of activities by licensed bodies
72    “Licensable body”
Licensing authorities
73    Licensing authorities and relevant licensing authorities
74    Designation of approved regulator as licensing authority
75    Automatic cancellation of designation as licensing authority
76    Cancellation of designation as licensing authority by order
77    Cancellation of designation: further provision
78    The Board’s power to recommend orders made under section 77
79    Cancellation of designation: powers of entry etc
Appeals
80    Functions of appellate bodies
81    Procedural requirements relating to recommendations under section 80
Policy statement
82    Licensing authority policy statement
Licensing rules
83    Licensing rules
Licensing
84    Application for licence
85    Terms of licence
86    Modification of licence
87    Registers of licensed bodies
88    Evidence of status
Legal Services Bill [HL] v
Ownership of licensed bodies
89    Ownership of licensed bodies
Regulation of licensed bodies
90    Duties of non-authorised persons
91    Duties of Head of Legal Practice
92    Duties of Head of Finance and Administration
93    Information
94    Enforcement of notices under section 93
95    Financial penalties
96    Appeals against financial penalties
97    Recovery of financial penalties
98    Referral of employees etc to appropriate regulator
99    Disqualification
100    Lists of disqualified persons
101    Suspension and revocation of licence
102    Intervention
103    Regulatory conflict and the Board as licensing authority
104    Prevention of regulatory conflict: accounts rules
Special kinds of body
105    Trade union exemptions
106    Power to modify application of licensing rules etc to special bodies
107    Modifications under section 106: supplementary
108    “Low risk body”
109    Foreign bodies
Supplementary provision
110    Reporting requirements relating to Part 5
111    Interpretation of Part 5
Part 6
Legal Complaints
Complaints procedures of authorised persons
112    Complaints procedures of authorised persons
Overview of the scheme
113    Overview of the scheme
The Office for Legal Complaints
114    The Office for Legal Complaints
115    The ombudsman scheme
116    General obligations
117    Corporate governance
118    Annual report
119    Supplementary powers
Legal Services Bill [HL] vi
120    Reporting to the Board
121    Performance targets and monitoring
The ombudsmen
122    Appointment of the Chief Ombudsman and assistant ombudsmen
123    Annual report of Chief Ombudsman
124    Additional reports of Chief Ombudsman
Jurisdiction and operation of the ombudsman scheme
125    Jurisdiction of the ombudsman scheme
126    Complaints excluded because respondent’s complaints procedures not used
127    Complaints excluded by scheme rules
128    Parties
129    Pre-commencement acts and omissions
130    Orders under section 128
131    Acts and omissions by employees etc
132    Continuity of complaints
133    Operation of the ombudsman scheme
134    Delegation of an ombudsman’s functions
135    Notification requirements
136    Charges payable by respondents
Determinations under the scheme
137    Determination of complaints
138    Limitation on value of directions under the ombudsman scheme
139    Alteration of limit
140    Acceptance or rejection of determination
141    Enforcement by complainant of directions under section 137
142    Reporting court orders made against authorised persons
Reporting misconduct
143    Reporting possible misconduct to approved regulators
Co-operation with investigations
144    Duties to share information
145    Duties of authorised persons to co-operate with investigations
146    Reporting failures to co-operate with an investigation to approved regulators
Information
147    Information and documents
148    Reporting failures to provide information or produce documents
149    Enforcement of requirements to provide information or produce documents
150    Reports of investigations
151    Restricted information
152    Disclosure of restricted information
153    Data protection
Legal Services Bill [HL] vii
Defamation
154    Protection from defamation claims
Scheme rules
155    Consent requirements for rules
156    The Board’s powers in respect of rules
Effect on existing arrangements for redress etc
157    Approved regulators not to make provision for redress
158    Regulatory arrangements not prohibited by section 157
159    Legal Services Complaints Commissioner and Legal Services Ombudsman
Interpretation
160    Interpretation of Part 6
Claims management services
161    Extension of Part 6 to claims management services
Part 7
Further provisions relating to the Board and the OLC
Guidance
162    Guidance
Voluntary arrangements
163    Voluntary arrangements
164    Power to establish voluntary scheme for resolving complaints
165    Procedure for making orders under section 164
166    Operation of voluntary scheme
Disclosure and use of information
167    Restricted information
168    Disclosure of restricted information
169    Disclosure of information to the Board
170    Data protection
171    Use of information
Payments by Lord Chancellor
172    Funding
The levy
173    The levy
174    The levy: supplementary provisions

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