Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Legal Aid Act 1978 - SECT 29A

Practitioner panels

29A. Practitioner panels





(1) VLA may establish different panels for-

   (a)  different classes of matters in relation to which legal assistance may
        be provided under this Act; or

   (b)  different parts of the State-

and may determine the conditions subject to which a private law practice or
private legal practitioner may be included on any such panel.

(2) If VLA proposes to establish a panel under subsection (1) or include
additional names on an established panel, it must, by notice published in a
daily newspaper circulating generally throughout Victoria or in the relevant
part of the State (as the case requires), invite expressions of interest from
private law practices or private legal practitioners in having their names
included on the panel.

(3) A notice under subsection (2)-

   (a)  must be published not later than 21 days before the panel is
        established by VLA or any additional name included on it, as the case
        requires; and

   (b)  must specify-

   (i)  the qualifications and experience that a private law practice or
        private legal practitioner included on the panel must have or the part
        of the State within which their principal place of practice must be
        located; and

   (ii) the period (not exceeding 5 years) during which a private law practice
        or private legal practitioner may be included on the panel; and

   (iii) the basis on which payment will be made to any private law practice
        or private legal practitioner included on the panel for services
        performed as a panel member on behalf of an assisted person; and

   (iv) performance standards in relation to the provision of services by
        panel members; and

   (v)  requirements with respect to the making of reports to VLA and the
        keeping of records that must be complied with by panel members in
        respect of the performance of services on behalf of assisted persons;
        and

   (vi) the grounds on which, and process by which, a private law practice or
        private legal practitioner may be removed from the panel.

(4) The name of a private law practice or private legal practitioner may be
included on a panel whether or not their name is also included on a referral
panel under section 30 or on another panel established under this section.

(5) A private law practice or private legal practitioner may be re-included on
a panel after the expiry of the period for which they were included.



(6) A private law practice or private legal practitioner may, by writing to
VLA, request that their name be removed from a panel and VLA must comply with
that request.

(7) If the name of a private law practice is included on a panel, the names of
all the private legal practitioners who are partners, directors or employees
of the private law practice are deemed to be included on the panel.



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