(1)The General Council shall appoint persons to be legal assessors.
(2)They shall have the general function of giving advice to—
(a)any person appointed in accordance with rules made under section 20(4),
(b)the Investigating Committee,
(c)the Professional Conduct Committee, F1. . .
(d)the Health Committee, [F2or]
[F2(e)the Registrar,]
on questions of law arising in connection with any matter which he or (as the case may be) the committee is considering.
(3)They shall also have such other functions as may be conferred on them by rules made by the General Council.
(4)To be qualified for appointment as a legal assessor under this section, a person must—
(a)have a 10 year general qualification (within the meaning of section 71 of the M1Courts and Legal Services Act 1990);
(b)be an advocate or solicitor in Scotland of at least 10 years’ standing; or
(c)be a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or [F3solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland] of at least 10 years’ standing.
(5)The General Council may pay such fees, allowances and expenses to persons appointed as legal assessors as it may determine.
(6)In the case of a legal assessor who is also a member of the General Council or of any of its committees, any such payment made to him in his capacity as a legal assessor shall be in addition to any to which he is entitled as such a member.
Textual Amendments
F1Word in s. 27(2)(c) repealed (5.7.1994) by 1994 c. 17, s. 42, Sch. 2 para. 6(a)
F2Word in s. 27(2)(d) and s. 27(2)(e) inserted (5.7.1994) by 1994 c. 17, s. 42, Sch. 2 para. 6(b)
F3Words 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)
Marginal Citations