Part 4Regulation of approved regulators

Cancellation of approval

I148Cancellation of designation: powers of entry etc

1

This section applies where a body (“the former regulator”) has its designation in relation to one or more reserved legal activities cancelled by an order under section 45.

2

The Board may request the former regulator to provide assistance to the new regulator and the Board, for the purpose of continuing regulation.

3

On an application by a person appointed by the Board to act on its behalf, a judge of the High Court, Circuit judge or justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorising that person to—

a

enter and search the premises of the former regulator, and

b

take possession of any written or electronic records found on the premises.

4

A person so authorised may, for the purpose of continuing regulation, take copies of written or electronic records found on a search carried out by virtue of the warrant.

5

The judge or justice of the peace may not issue the warrant unless satisfied that its issue is necessary or desirable for the purpose of continuing regulation.

6

The Lord Chancellor must make regulations—

a

specifying further matters which a judge or justice of the peace must be satisfied of, or matters which a judge or justice of the peace must have regard to, before issuing a warrant, and

b

regulating the exercise of a power conferred by a warrant issued under subsection (3) or by subsection (4) (whether by restricting the circumstances in which a power may be exercised, by specifying conditions to be complied with in the exercise of a power, or otherwise).

7

Regulations under subsection (6)(b) must in particular make provision as to circumstances in which written or electronic records of which a person has taken possession by virtue of a warrant issued under subsection (3) may be copied or must be returned.

8

But the Lord Chancellor may not make regulations under subsection (6) unless—

a

they are made in accordance with a recommendation made by the Board, or

b

the Lord Chancellor has consulted the Board about the making of the regulations.

9

The Board must make rules as to the persons it may appoint for the purposes of subsection (3).

10

For the purposes of this section—

  • authorised by the former regulator”, “protected activity” and “new regulator” have the same meaning as for the purposes of section 46;

  • the purpose of continuing regulation” means the purpose of enabling persons authorised by the former regulator to continue to be authorised and regulated in relation to the protected activity.