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, notwithstanding anything contained in F1the M1Solicitors Act 1974, to conduct any such proceedings although he is not a solicitor holding a current practising certificate.

In this section “local authority” includes the Common Council F2, a joint authority F3andF4, a police authority established under F5section 3 of the Police Act 1996F6, the Metropolitan Police AuthorityF7and the Service Authority for the National Crime Squad . . . F8. . ..