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- Point in Time (01/04/1991)
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Version Superseded: 01/01/1992
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There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Solicitors Act 1974, Section 20.
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(1)No unqualified person shall—
(a)act as a solicitor, or as such issue any writ or process, or commence, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding, in his own name or in the name of any other person, in any court of civil or criminal jurisdiction; or
(b)act as a solicitor in any cause or matter, civil or criminal, to be heard or determined before any justice or justices or any commissioners of Her Majesty’s revenue.
(2)Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1)—
(a)shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for not more than two years or to a fine or to both; and
(b)shall be guilty of contempt of the court in which the action, suit, cause, matter or proceeding in relation to which he so acts is brought or taken and may be punished accordingly; . . . F1
(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1
[F2(3)A person exempted from the provisions of section 23(1) by virtue of section 23(2) or (3) of this Act or section 55 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 may, in any non–contentious or common form probate business, apply for a grant of probate or for letters of administration or oppose such an application without committing an offence under this section.
(4)In subsection (3) ’non–contentious or common form probate business’ has the same meaning as in section 128 of the Supreme Court Act 1981.]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 20(2)(c) and the word “and” immediately preceding it repealed by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), s. 125(7), Sch. 20
F2S. 20(3)(4) added (prosp.) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), ss. 124(3), 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 11
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 20 amended by S.I. 1978/1910, art. 18(1), Sch. Pt. II
C2S. 20 excluded (prosp.) by Administration of Justice Act 1985 (c. 61, SIF 34), ss. 9(3), 69(2), and excluded by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), ss. 11(3), 27(10), 28(6), 59(1)
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