The General Optical Council (Registration Appeals Rules) Order of Council 2005

Representation

14.—(1) Each party to proceedings to be heard before the Registration Appeals Committee shall be entitled to be heard at any hearing of those proceedings by the Committee.

(2) Each party to the proceedings shall be entitled to be represented at any such hearing by—

(a) a person with a general qualification (within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990);

(b) an advocate in Scotland, or a solicitor entitled to appear in the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary;

(c) a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland; or

(d) in the case of the appellant or the applicant, any of the following—

(i) a representative of any professional organisation of which he is a member,

(ii) where the appellant or the applicant is a body corporate, a responsible officer of the body corporate, or

(iii) if the appellant or the applicant so requests and the Committee agree, any other suitable person.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where an individual appellant or an individual applicant is not represented, he may be accompanied and advised by any person, provided that such person shall not be entitled to address the Committee without their permission.

(4) A person who gives evidence at a hearing shall not, without the permission of the Committee, be entitled to represent or accompany the appellant or the applicant at the hearing.