Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966

6 (1) For the purpose of advising the disciplinary committee on questions of law arising in disciplinary cases there shall in all such cases be an assessor to the committee who shall be U.K.

[F1 (a) a person who has a 10 year general qualification, within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990;

(b) an advocate or solicitor in Scotland of at least 10 years’ standing; or

(c) a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or [F2 solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland ] of at least 10 years’ standing.]

(2) The power of appointing an assessor to the disciplinary committee shall be exercisable by the Council, but if no assessor appointed by the Council is available to act in any particular proceedings the committee may itself appoint an assessor qualified as aforesaid for those proceedings.

(3) The Lord Chancellor may make rules as to the functions of assessors appointed under this paragraph, and in particular such rules may contain provision for securing—

(a) that where an assessor advises the disciplinary committee on any question of law as to evidence, procedure or any other matters specified by the rules, he shall do so in the presence of every party or person representing a party to the proceedings who appears thereat or, if the advice is tendered while the committee is deliberating in private, that every such party or person as aforesaid shall be informed what advice the assessor has tendered;

(b) that every such party or person as aforesaid shall be informed if in any case the committee does not accept the advice of the assessor on such a question as aforesaid.

and may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions as the Lord Chancellor considers expedient.

(4) An assessor may be appointed under this paragraph either generally or for any particular proceedings or class of proceedings, and shall hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms of the instrument under which he is appointed.

(5) The Council may pay to an assessor appointed under this paragraph remuneration at such rates as may be determined by the Council with the consent of the Lord Chancellor.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 para. 6(1)(a)(b)(c) substituted for the words commencing “a barrister"to the end by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 71(2), Sch. 10 para. 28

F2 Words in Act substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 148(1), Sch. 11 para. 5; S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(d)