Courts and Legal Services Act 1990

Accounts and audit

9 (1) The Advisory Committee shall keep accounts and shall prepare a statement of accounts (the “statement”) in respect of each financial year.

(2) The accounts shall be kept, and the statement shall be prepared, in such form as the Lord Chancellor may, with the approval of the Treasury, direct.

(3) The accounts shall be audited by persons to be appointed in respect of each financial year by the Lord Chancellor in accordance with a scheme of audit approved by him.

(4) The auditors shall be furnished by the Advisory Committee with copies of the statement and shall prepare a report to the Lord Chancellor on the accounts and statement.

(5) No person shall be qualified to be appointed as auditor under this paragraph unless he is—

(a) a member of a body of accountants established in the United Kingdom and for the time being recognised for the purposes of section 389(1)(a) of the [1985 c. 6.] Companies Act 1985;

(b) authorised by the Secretary of State under section 389(1)(b) of that Act to be appointed an auditor of a company; or

(c) a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

(6) A firm may be appointed as auditor under this paragraph if each of its members is qualified to be so appointed.

(7) On completion of the audit of the accounts, the auditors shall send to the Lord Chancellor a copy of the statement and of their report.

(8) The Lord Chancellor shall send a copy of the statement and of the report to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

(9) The Lord Chancellor and the Comptroller and Auditor General may inspect the Advisory Committee’s accounts and any records relating to them.

(10) The Lord Chancellor shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every statement and report sent to him under this paragraph.

(11) In this paragraph “financial year” means—

(a) the period beginning with the day on which the Advisory Committee is established and ending with the following 31st March; and

(b) each subsequent period of twelve months ending with 31st March.