Part XI General Provisions as to Local Authorities
Legal proceedings
222 Power of local authorities to prosecute or defend legal proceedings.
(1)
Where a local authority consider it expedient for the promotion or protection of the interests of the inhabitants of their area—
(a)
they may prosecute or defend or appear in any legal proceedings and, in the case of civil proceedings, may institute them in their own name, and
(b)
they may, in their own name, make representations in the interests of the inhabitants at any public inquiry held by or on behalf of any Minister or public body under any enactment.
(2)
F4(3)
In the application of subsection (1) to a corporate joint committee, the reference to the corporate joint committee’s area is to be read as a reference to the area specified as the corporate joint committee’s area in regulations under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 establishing the corporate joint committee.
223 Appearance of local authorities in legal proceedings.
(1)
Any member or officer of a local authority who is authorised by that authority to prosecute or defend on their behalf, or to appear on their behalf in, proceedings before a magistrates’ court shall be entitled to prosecute or defend or to appear in any such proceedings, and, F5to conduct any such proceedings.
(2)
In this section “local authority” includes the Common Council F6, a corporate joint committee F7, a joint authority, F8an economic prosperity board, a combined authority, F9a combined county authority, F10a fire and rescue authority created by an order under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, F11... F12 the Greater London Authority F13and F14, a F15police and crime commissioner and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime F16... F17...