Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010

  1. Introduction

  2. The Act

  3. Overview of the Structure of the Act

  4. Commentary on Sections

    1. Part 1 – the Regulatory Objectives Etc.

      1. Section 1 – Regulatory objectives

        Section 2 – Professional principles

      2. Section 3 – Legal services

      3. Section 4 – Ministerial oversight

      4. Section 5 – Consultation by Ministers

    2. Part 2 – Regulation of Licensed Legal Services

      1. Chapter 1 – Approved Regulators

        1. Approved regulators

          1. Section 6 – Approved regulators

          2. Section 7 – Approval of regulators

          3. Section 8 – Pre-approval consideration

          4. Section 9 – Lord President’s agreement

          5. Section 10 – Authorisation to act

          6. Section 11 – Request for authorisation

        2. Regulatory schemes

          1. Section 12 – Regulatory schemes

          2. Section 13 – Reconciling different rules

        3. Licensing rules

          1. Section 14 – Licensing rules: general

            Section 15 – Initial considerations

          2. Section 16 – Other licensing rules

          3. Section 17 – Licensing appeals

        4. Practice rules

          1. Section 18 – Practice rules: general

            Section 19 – Financial sanctions

            Section 20 – Enforcement of duties

          2. Section 21 – Performance report

          3. Section 22 – Accounting and auditing

          4. Section 23 – Professional indemnity

        5. Compensation arrangements

          1. Section 24 – Choice of arrangements

          2. Section 25 – Compensation rules: general

          3. Section 26 – More about compensation arrangements

        6. Internal governance

          1. Section 27 – Internal governance arrangements

          2. Section 28 – Communicating outside

          3. Section 29 – More about governance

        7. Regulatory functions etc.

          1. Section 30 – Regulatory and representative functions

          2. Section 31 – Assessment of licensed providers

        8. Relationship with other bodies

          1. Section 32 – Giving information to SLAB

          2. Section 33 – Reporting to Law Society

          3. Section 34 – Steps open to Society

          4. Section 35 – Financial inspection by Society

        9. Performance and measures

          1. Section 36 – Review of own performance

          2. Section 37 – Monitoring by Ministers

          3. Section 38 – Measures open to Ministers

          4. Schedule 1 – Performance targets

          5. Schedule 2 – Directions

          6. Schedule 3 – Censure

          7. Schedule 4 – Financial penalties

          8. Schedule 5 – Amendment of authorisation

          9. Schedule 6 – Rescission of authorisation

        10. Ceasing to regulate

          1. Section 39 – Surrender of authorisation

          2. Section 40 – Cessation directions

          3. Section 41 – Transfer arrangements

            Section 42 – Extra arrangements

        11. Change of regulator

          1. Section 43 – Change of approved regulator

          2. Section 44 – Step-in by Ministers

        12. Additional functions etc.

          1. Section 45 – Additional powers and duties

          2. Section 46 – Guidance on functions

      2. Chapter 2 – Licensed Legal Services Providers

        1. Licensed providers

          1. Section 47 – Licensed providers

          2. Section 48 – Eligibility criteria

            Section 49 – Majority ownership

        2. Key duties and positions

          1. Section 50 – Key duties

          2. Section 51 – Head of Legal Services

          3. Section 52 – Head of Practice

          4. Section 53 – Practice Committee

        3. Appointment to position etc.

          1. Section 54 – Notice of appointment

          2. Section 55 – Challenge to appointment

          3. Section 56 – Disqualification from position

            Section 58 – Conditions for disqualification

          4. Section 57 – Effect of disqualification

        4. Designated persons

          1. Section 59 – Designated persons

            Section 61 – Listing and information

          2. Section 60 – Working context

        5. Non-solicitor investors

          1. Section 62 – Fitness for involvement

          2. Section 63 – Exemption from fitness test

          3. Section 64 – Factors as to fitness

          4. Section 65 – Ban for improper behaviour

          5. Section 66 – Behaving properly

          6. Section 67 – More about investors

        6. Discontinuance of services

          1. Section 68 – Duty to warn

          2. Section 69 – Inability to operate

          3. Section 70 – Safeguarding clients

          4. Section 71 – Distribution of client account

        7. Professional practice etc.

          1. Section 72 – Employing disqualified lawyer

          2. Section 73 – Concealing disqualification

          3. Section 74 – Pretending to be licensed

          4. Section 75 – Professional privilege

      3. Chapter 3 – Further Provision

        1. Achieving regulatory aims

          1. Section 76 – Input by the OFT

          2. Section 77 – Role of approved regulators

            Section 78 – Policy statement

        2. Complaints

          1. Section 79 – Complaints about regulators

          2. Section 80 – Levy payable by regulators

          3. Section 81 – Complaints about providers

        3. Registers and lists

          1. Section 82 – Register of approved regulators

            Section 83 – Registers of licensed providers

          2. Section 84 – Lists of disqualified persons

        4. Miscellaneous

          1. Section 85 – Privileged material

          2. Section 86 – Immunity from damages

          3. Section 87 – Appeal procedure

          4. Section 88 – Corporate offences

          5. Section 89 – Effect of professional or other rules

    3. Part 3 – Confirmation and Will Writing Services

      1. Chapter 1 – Confirmation Services

        1. Regulation of confirmation agents

          1. Section 90 – Confirmation agents and services

          2. Section 91 – Approving bodies

            Section 92 – Certification of bodies

          3. Section 93 – Regulatory schemes

          4. Section 94 – Financial sanctions

          5. Section 95 – Review of own performance

          6. Section 96 – Pretending to be authorised

        2. Other regulatory matters

          1. Section 97 – Revocation of certification

          2. Section 98 – Surrender of certification

          3. Section 99 – Register and list

        3. Ministerial functions

          1. Section 100 – Ministerial intervention

      2. Chapter 2 – Will Writing Services

        1. Regulation of will writers

          1. Section 101 – Will writers and services

          2. Section 102 – Approving bodies

            Section 103 – Certification of bodies

          3. Section 104 – Regulatory schemes

          4. Section 105 – Financial sanctions

          5. Section 106 – Review of own performance

          6. Section 107 – Pretending to be authorised

        2. Other regulatory matters

          1. Section 108 – Revocation of certification

          2. Section 109 – Surrender of certification

          3. Section 110 – Register and list

        3. Ministerial functions

          1. Section 111 – Ministerial intervention

          2. Section 112 – Step-in by Ministers

      3. Chapter 3 – Further Provision

        1. Section 113 – Regard to OFT input

        2. Section 114 – Complaints about services

        3. Section 115 – Privilege and immunity

        4. Section 116 – Appeals procedure

        5. Section 117 – Corporate offences

        6. Section 118 – Consequential modification

    4. Part 4 – the Legal Profession

      1. Chapter 1 – Applying the Regulatory Objectives

        1. Section 119 – Application by the profession

      2. Chapter 2 – Faculty of Advocates

        1. Section 120 – Regulation of the Faculty

        2. Section 121 – Professional rules

        3. Section 122 – Particular rules

      3. Chapter 3 – Solicitors and Other Representatives

        1. Removal of practising restrictions

          1. Section 123 – Licensed providers as qualified persons

          2. Section 124 – Practice rules for licensed providers

          3. Section 125 – Citizens advice bodies

        2. Lay representation

          1. Section 126 – Court of Session Rules

          2. Section 127 – Sheriff court rules

        3. Guarantee Fund

          1. Section 128 – Use of Guarantee Fund

          2. Section 129 – Contributions to the Fund

          3. Section 130 – Cap on individual claims

        4. The Law Society

          1. Section 131 – Acting as an approved regulator

          2. Section 132 – Council membership

          3. Section 133 – Regulatory committee

        5. The 1980 Act: further modification

          1. Section 134 – Keeping the solicitors roll etc.

          2. Section 135 – Removal from the roll etc.

          3. Section 136 – Restoration to the roll

          4. Section 137 – Suspension from practice

          5. Section 138 – Accounts rules fee

          6. Section 139 – Powers of Tribunal

      4. Chapter 4 – Other Bodies

        1. Scottish Legal Aid Board

          1. Section 140 – Exclusion from giving legal assistance

          2. Section 141 – Availability of legal services

          3. Section 142 – Information about legal services

        2. Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

          1. Section 143 – Relevant practitioners

          2. Section 144 – Minor amendments

          3. Section 145 – The 2007 Act: Further provision

    5. Part 5 – General

      1. Section 147 – Further modification

  5. Parliamentary History