Legal Services Act 2007

Solicitors etc

7 (1) During the transitional period—

(a) every qualified solicitor,

(b) every legal partnership, and

(c) every body recognised under section 9 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985 (c. 61) (incorporated practices) (“a recognised body”),

is deemed to be authorised by the Law Society to carry on the activities in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) Those activities are—

(a) the exercise of a right of audience before every court in relation to all proceedings;

(b) the conduct of litigation in relation to every court and all proceedings;

(c) reserved instrument activities;

(d) probate activities;

(e) the administration of oaths.

(3) The authority conferred on a qualified solicitor, legal partnership or recognised body by this paragraph is exercisable in accordance with, and subject to, the regulatory arrangements of the Law Society.

(4) In this paragraph—

• “legal partnership” means a partnership in which a qualified solicitor, a registered European Lawyer or a body recognised under section 9 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985 (c. 61) is permitted to practise by virtue of rules made under that section or section 31 of the Solicitors Act 1974 (c. 47);

• “qualified solicitor” means a person who is qualified under section 1 of the Solicitors Act 1974 to act as a solicitor;

• “registered European lawyer” means a registered European lawyer within the meaning of the European Communities (Lawyer’s Practice) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/1119) who is registered with the Law Society.