- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
This version of this provision is prospective.![]()
The term provision is used to describe a definable element in a piece of legislation that has legislative effect – such as a Part, Chapter or section. A version of a provision is prospective either:
Commencement Orders listed in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ box as not yet applied may bring this prospective version into force.
There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025, Section 38.![]()
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.
Prospective
(1)This Part makes provision for category 1 regulators to authorise legal businesses to provide legal services.
(2)Section 39—
(a)defines what constitutes a legal business (and associated expressions) for the purpose of this Part, and
(b)makes it an offence for a legal business to provide legal services without being authorised by the appropriate regulator of that business.
(3)Section 40 makes it an offence to pretend, without reasonable excuse, to be an authorised legal business.
(4)Sections 41 to 46 require category 1 regulators to prepare and operate rules to authorise and regulate legal businesses.
(5)Section 47 deals with how a category 1 regulator is to monitor and investigate the performance of authorised legal businesses.
(6)Section 48 and Part 2 of schedule 1 (which amends the 1980 Act)—
(a)enable the Law Society to authorise (and regulate) legal businesses,
(b)reflect that incorporated practices (within the meaning of section 34 of the 1980 Act) are to be authorised as a type of legal business.
(7)Section 49 makes provision for where a body must change its regulatory regime by virtue of changing the manner in which it is owned.
Commencement Information
I1S. 38 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 103(3)
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: