Part II Right to Practise as a Solicitor

Unqualified persons acting as solicitors

C231 Offence for unqualified persons to pretend to be solicitor or notary public. C1

F11

Any F2. . . person (including a body corporate) who F3, not having the relevant qualification,either by himself or together with others, wilfully and falsely—

a

pretends to be a solicitor or notary public; or

F4aa

pretends to be a registered European lawyer; or

F5ab

pretends to be a registered foreign lawyer; or

b

takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is duly qualified to act as a solicitor or a notary public F6F7, registered European lawyer or registered foreign lawyer, as the case may be, or recognised by law as so qualified;

shall be guilty of an offence.

  • F8In this section, “F2... person” does not include an incorporated practice.

F92

Any person (including a body corporate) who either by himself or together with others, wilfully and falsely—

a

pretends to be an incorporated practice;

b

takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is an incorporated practice,

shall be guilty of an offence.

3

F10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C332 Offence for unqualified persons to prepare certain documents.

1

Subject to the provisions of this section F11and regulations 6, 11, 12 and 13 of the European Communities (Lawyer’s Practice) (Scotland) Regulations 2000, any unqualified person (including a body corporate) who draws or prepares—

a

any writ relating to heritable or moveable estate; or

b

any writ relating to any F12action or proceedings in any court; or

c

any papers on which to found or oppose an application for a grant of confirmation in favour of executors,

shall be guilty of an offence.

2

Subsection (1) shall not apply—

a

to an unqualified person if he proves that he drew or prepared the writ or papers in question without receiving, or without expecting to receive, either directly or indirectly, any fee, gain or reward F13(other than by way of remuneration paid under a contract of employment); or

b

to an advocate; or

c

to any public officer drawing or preparing writs in the course of his duty; or

d

to any person employed merely to engross any writ F14or

e

an incorporated practice.

F152A

Subsection (1)(a) shall not apply to a F16“conveyancing practitioner” providing conveyancing services within the meaning of section 23 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990.

2B

Subsection (1)(b) shall not apply to a person who is, by virtue of an act of sederunt made under section 32 (power of Court of Session to regulate procedure) of the M1Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971, permitted to represent a party to a summary cause.

2C

Subsection (1)(c) shall not apply to an executry practitioner or a recognised financial institution providing executry services within the meaning of section 23 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990.

3

In this section “writ” does not include—

a

a will or other testamentary writing;

b

a documentin re mercatoria, missive or mandate;

c

a letter or power of attorney;

d

a transfer of stock containing no trust or limitation thereof.

F174

For the purposes of this section, “unqualified person” includes a registered foreign lawyer.

C433 Unqualified persons not entitled to fees, etc.

F18Subject to the provisions of regulations 12 and 13 of the European Communities (Lawyer’s Practice) (Scotland) Regulations 2000,no fee, reward, outlay or expenses on account of or in relation to any act or proceeding done or taken by any person who—

a

acts as a solicitor or as a notary public without being duly qualified so to act; or

b

not being so qualified,. . . F19 frames or draws any writs to which section 32 applies,

shall be recoverable by any person in any action or matter.

F20This section does not apply to an incorporated practice.F21or in relation to writs framed or drawn by a person who is, by virtue of an act of sederunt made under section 32 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971, permitted to represent a party to a summary cause.

33AF22 Rules as to professional practice, conduct and discipline.

1

Any communication made to or by an incorporated practice in the course of its acting as such for a client shall in any legal proceedings be privileged from disclosure in like manner as if the body had at all material times been a solicitor acting for the client.

2

Any enactment or instrument making special provision in relation to a solicitor or other legal representative as to the disclosure of information, or as to the production, seizure or removal of documents, with respect to which a claim to professional privilege could be maintained, shall, with any necessary modifications, have effect in relation to an incorporated practice as it has effect in relation to a solicitor.

F2333B

1

Any communication made to or by a registered foreign lawyer in the course of his actings as such for a client shall in any legal proceedings be privileged from disclosure in like manner as if the registered foreign lawyer had at all material times been a solicitor acting for a client.

2

Any enactment or instrument making special provision in relation to a solicitor or other legal representative as to the disclosure of information, or as to the production, seizure or removal of documents, with respect to which a claim to professional privilege could be maintained, shall, with any necessary modifications, have effect in relation to a registered foreign lawyer as it has effect in relation to a solicitor.