2011 No. 180 (C. 17)
Legal Profession

The Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving Provision) Order 2011

Made
The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 150(2), (3) and (4) of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 20101.

Citation

1.

This Order may be cited as the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving Provision) Order 2011.

Interpretation

2.

In this Order, “the Act” means the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010.

Appointed days

3.

(1)

The day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the Act specified in column 1 of the Schedule to this Order (the subject matter of which is specified in column 2 of that Schedule) is 1st April 2011.

(2)

Where a purpose is specified in column 3 of that Schedule, a provision specified in column 1 comes into force in accordance with paragraph (1) only for that purpose.

4.

The day appointed for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Act is 1st May 2011:—

(a)

sections 134 to 139 (modification of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980);

(b)

section 140 (exclusion from giving legal assistance).

5.

The day appointed for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Act is 1st June 2011:—

(a)

section 120 (regulation of the Faculty);

(b)

section 121 (professional rules);

(c)

section 122 (particular rules);

(d)

section 133 (regulatory committee), so far as not already in force.

6.

The day appointed for the coming into force of section 132 of the Act (Council membership) is 30th June 2011.

7.

The day appointed for the coming into force of sections 126 and 127 of the Act (lay representation) is 1st September 2011.

Saving provision

8.

The commencement of section 140 of the Act has no effect as regards any exclusion under section 31(3) of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 19862 made before 1st May 2011.
FERGUS EWING
Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers

St Andrew’s House,

Edinburgh

SCHEDULE

Article 3

Column 1

(provisions of the Act)

Column 2

(subject matter)

Column 3

(purpose)

Part 1

The regulatory objectives etc.

Section 6

Approved regulators

Section 7

Approval of regulators

Section 8

Pre-approval consideration

Section 9

Lord President’s agreement

Section 10(1)

Approved regulator not to exercise regulatory functions unless authorised

Section 10(2) to (6)

Authorisation to act as approved regulator

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Sections 12 and 13

Regulatory schemes

Section 14

Licensing rules: general

Section 15

Initial considerations

Section 16

Other licensing rules

Sections 18 to 23

Practice rules

Sections 24 to 26

Compensation arrangements

Sections 27 to 29

Internal governance

Section 30

Regulatory and representative functions

Section 31 in so far as it relates to section 21(3)

Assessment of licensed providers

Section 31

Assessment of licensed providers

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 38

Measures open to Ministers

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 42

Extra arrangements

Section 43

Change of approved regulator

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 44

Step-in by Ministers

Section 45

Additional powers and duties

Section 47

Licensed providers

Section 48

Eligibility criteria

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 49

Majority ownership

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 51

Head of legal services

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 52

Head of Practice

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 53

Practice Committee

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 55, in so far as it relates to sections 14 and 18

Challenge to appointment

Section 56, in so far as it relates to sections 14 and 18

Disqualification from position

Section 57, in so far as it relates to sections 14 and 18

Effect of disqualification

Section 59

Designated persons

Section 62, in so far as it relates to section 14

Fitness for involvement

Section 63, in so far as it relates to section 14

Exemption from fitness test

Section 65, in so far as it relates to section 18

Ban for improper behaviour

Section 67(1) to (5)

More about investors

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 67(6) and (7)

More about investors

Section 70

Safeguarding clients

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 76

Input by the OFT

Section 78

Policy statement

Section 79

Complaints about regulators

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 81

Complaints about providers

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 83

Registers of licensed providers

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 84

Lists of disqualified persons

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 91

Approving bodies

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 92

Certification of bodies

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 93

Regulatory schemes

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 95

Review of own performance

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 100

Ministerial intervention

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 102

Approving bodies

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 103

Certification of bodies

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 104

Regulatory schemes

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 106

Review of own performance

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Sections 111 and 112

Ministerial functions

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 114

Complaints about services

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 119

Application by the profession

Sections 125

Citizens advice bodies

Section 128(1)(a)(ii), (1)(b)(i), (2) and (3)

Use of guarantee fund

Section 129(1)(a)(i) and (ii) and (2)

Contributions to the fund

Section 130

Cap on individual claims

Section 131

Acting as an approved regulator

Section 133

Regulatory committee

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Section 141

Availability of legal services

Section 142

Information about legal services

Sections 143 to 145

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

Schedules 1 to 6

Measures open to Ministers

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Schedule 8

Investors in licensed providers

The purpose of enabling Regulations to be made

Paragraph 4 of schedule 8, in so far as it relates to section 14

Exemption from notification requirements

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force various provisions of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the Act”). The Act received Royal Assent on 9th November 2010. Sections 146 to 150 came into force on the day after that day.

Part 1 and sections 6 to 9, 10(1), 12, 13, 14 (and sections 55 to 57, 62, 63 and paragraph 4 of schedule 8 in so far as they relate to that section), 15, 16, 18 (and sections 55 to 57 and 65 in so far as they relate to that section), 19 to 23 (and section 31 in so far as it relates to section 21(3)), 24 to 30, 44, 45, 47, 59, 67(6) and (7), 76, 78, 119, 125, 128(1)(a)(ii), (1)(b)(i), (2) and (3), 129(1)(a)(i) and (ii) and (2), 130, 131 and 141 to 145 come into force on 1st April 2011 (article 3).

Sections 10(2) to (6), 31, 38, 42, 43, 48 and 49, 51 to 53, 67(1) to (5), 70, 79, 81, 83 and 84, 91 to 93, 95, 100, 102 to 104, 106, 111 and 112, 114, 133 and schedules 1 to 6 and 8 also come into force on 1st April 2011, but for the limited purposes of enabling regulations to be made (article 3).

Sections 134 to 140 come into force on 1st May 2011 (article 4).

Sections 120, 121, 122 and 133 (in so far as it is not already in force) come into force on 1st June 2011 (article 5).

Section 132 comes into force on 30th June 2011.

Sections 126 and 127 come into force on 1st September 2011 (article 7).

The provisions of section 31 of the 1986 Act which are amended or repealed by section 140 of the Act are saved in relation to exclusions from providing legal assistance made before 1st May 2011 (article 8).