Public Health Act 1875

249 Taxation of bill of solicitor or attorney.

On the application of any local authority whose accounts are required by this Act to be audited to the clerk of the peace of the county in which the district of such authority is wholly or in part situated, the said clerk or his deputy shall tax any bill due to any solicitor or attorney in respect of legal business performed on behalf of such authority; and the allowance of any sum on such taxation shall be prima facie evidence of the reasonableness of the amount, but not of the legality of the charge.

The clerk of the peace shall be allowed for such taxation a remuneration after the rate to be fixed by the master of the Crown Office, and declared by an order of the Local Government Board.

If any such bill is not taxed by the clerk of the peace or some other duly authorised taxing officer before being presented to the auditors or auditor, the decision of the auditors or auditor upon the reasonableness and the legality of the charge shall be final.