Western Australian Repealed Acts

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This legislation has been repealed.

LEGAL PRACTICE ACT 2003


TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1 -- Preliminary  

   1.      Short title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Terms used in this Act  
   4.      Meaning of “engage in legal practice”  
   5.      Notes

   PART 2 -- The Legal Practice Board  

   6.      Legal Practice Board established  
   7.      Members of the Board  
   8.      Who may vote in election  
   9.      Functions of the Board  
   10.     Committees  
   11.     Delegation  
   12.     Powers of the Board  
   13.     Application of funds  
   14.     Accounts and records  
   15.     Audit  
   16.     Execution of documents by the Board  
   17.     Annual and other reports  
   18.     Protection from liability

   PART 3 -- Articled clerks  

   19.     Who may be an articled clerk  
   20.     Who may have an articled clerk  
   21.     Articles of clerkship  
   22.     Continuation of articles  
   23.     Articled clerk not to undertake other employment without consent  
   24.     Service under articles to accord with Act  
   25.     Reports to Board  
   26.     Cancellation of articles

   PART 4 -- Admission of legal practitioners  

   27.     Qualifications for admission of legal practitioners  
   28.     Admission of legal practitioner  
   29.     Objection to admission  
   30.     Admission by Supreme Court (full bench)  
   31.     Roll of Practitioners  
   32.     Certificate of admission  
   33.     Restrictions on entitlement to practise  
   34.     Re-admission as a legal practitioner

   PART 5 -- Practice certificates  

   35.     Requirement to hold practice certificate  
   36.     Legal practitioner employed by this State  
   37.     Application for practice certificate  
   38.     Refusal of application  
   39.     Unfit, incapable or insolvent practitioners  
   40.     Conditions may be imposed upon practice certificate  
   41.     Board’s powers of inquiry  
   42.     Duration of practice certificate  
   43.     Suspension or cancellation of practice certificate after disciplinary proceedings  
   44.     Reviews

   PART 6 -- Business structures

           Division 1 -- General  

   45.     Practitioner may practise under any business structure  
   46.     Obligations of individual legal practitioners not affected

           Division 2 -- Incorporated legal practices  

   47.     Nature of incorporated legal practice  
   48.     Services and businesses of incorporated legal practices  
   49.     Corporations eligible to be incorporated legal practices  
   50.     Notice by corporation  
   51.     Responsibilities of legal practitioner director  
   52.     Obligations of legal practitioner director relating to unsatisfactory conduct  
   53.     Absence of legal practitioner director  
   54.     Obligations of legal practitioners who are officers or employees  
   55.     Professional privileges  
   56.     Pro bono services  
   57.     Conflicts of interest  
   58.     Disclosure obligations  
   59.     Application of rules to incorporated legal practice  
   60.     Requirements relating to professional indemnity insurance  
   61.     Requirements relating to advertising  
   62.     Requirements relating to legal fees and costs  
   63.     Requirements relating to trust accounts  
   64.     Part 11 (except section 150) does not apply to incorporated legal practice  
   65.     Extension of vicarious liability of incorporated legal practice  
   66.     Prohibition on association with prohibited persons  
   67.     Investigative powers relating to incorporated legal practices  
   68.     Audit of incorporated legal practice  
   69.     Banning of incorporated legal practice  
   70.     Disqualification from managing incorporated legal practice  
   71.     Disclosure of information to ASIC  
   72.     Relationship to Corporations legislation and certain other instruments  
   73.     Undue influence

           Division 3 -- Multi-disciplinary partnerships  

   74.     Nature of multi-disciplinary partnerships  
   75.     Conduct of multi-disciplinary partnerships  
   76.     Responsibilities of legal practitioner partner  
   77.     Obligations of legal practitioner partner related to unsatisfactory conduct  
   78.     Actions that may be taken by non-legal partner  
   79.     Professional obligations and privileges of legal practitioners who are partners or employees  
   80.     Conflicts of interest  
   81.     Disclosure obligations  
   82.     Application of rules to legal practitioner partners and employees  
   83.     Requirements relating to advertising  
   84.     Requirements relating to legal fees and costs  
   85.     Requirements relating to trust accounts  
   86.     Prohibited person must not act as employee or partner  
   87.     Prohibition on partnerships with certain non-legal partners  
   88.     Undue influence

   PART 7 -- Interstate practitioners

           Division 1 -- Preliminary  

   89.     When an interstate practitioner establishes an office

           Division 2 -- Legal practice by interstate practitioners  

   90.     Interstate practitioner may practise in this State  
   91.     Notification of establishment of office required  
   92.     Requirements relating to professional indemnity insurance  
   93.     Requirements relating to Guarantee Fund

           Division 3 -- Complaints and discipline  

   94.     Local practitioners  
   95.     Referral of complaints and disciplinary matters to regulatory authorities in other States  
   96.     Dealing with matters referred by regulatory authorities in other States  
   97.     Furnishing information

           Division 4 -- Miscellaneous  

   98.     Local practitioners are subject to interstate regulatory authorities  
   99.     Local practitioner receiving trust moneys interstate  
   100.    Regulatory authority may exercise powers conferred by law of another State

   PART 8 -- Foreign lawyers

           Division 1 -- Preliminary  

   101.    Practice of foreign law defined  
   102.    Who may practise foreign law

           Division 2 -- Registration of foreign lawyers  

   103.    Applying for registration  
   104.    Registration fee  
   105.    Registration  
   106.    Conditions may be imposed on registration  
   107.    Applicant to be notified of decision  
   108.    Fees to be paid by registered foreign lawyers  
   109.    Register  
   110.    Suspending registration  
   111.    Effect of suspension  
   112.    Cancelling registration  
   113.    Reviews

           Division 3 -- Practising foreign law  

   114.    Scope of practice allowed  
   115.    Form of practice  
   116.    Letterhead and other identifying documents  
   117.    Designation  
   118.    Employment of certificated practitioners by registered foreign lawyers  
   119.    Employment of registered foreign lawyers by certificated practitioners etc.  
   120.    Professional indemnity insurance  
   121.    Trust accounts  
   122.    Exemption may be granted by Board

   PART 9 -- Unqualified and prohibited practice  

   123.    Prohibition on unqualified legal practice  
   124.    No liability in certain cases  
   125.    Offence by corporation  
   126.    Certificated practitioner acting as agent for unqualified person  
   127.    Allowing unqualified person to act as practitioner  
   128.    Unqualified person making false representation to be practitioner  
   129.    Practitioner making false representation to be certificated  
   130.    Sharing receipts  
   131.    Employment or engagement of practitioner without practice certificate  
   132.    Prohibition on employment or engagement of certain non-legal persons  
   133.    Associates who are prohibited persons  
   134.    Part does not affect operation of Fair Trading Act 1987  
   135.    Review

   PART 10 -- Trust accounts  

   136.    Term used in this Part  
   137.    Trust moneys to be paid to trust account  
   138.    Application of trust moneys to payment of costs  
   139.    Banks not to be concerned as to the application of, or to have recourse against, trust moneys  
   140.    Legal practitioners to maintain books of account  
   141.    Receipt of cheques  
   142.    Board may appoint accountant to examine books of account  
   143.    Examiner may require production of books and documents  
   144.    Limitation on disclosure of matters revealed in the course of examinations  
   145.    Action on examiner’s report  
   146.    Legal practitioners to make payments towards Guarantee Fund  
   147.    Accountant’s certificate

   PART 11 -- Supervisors and managers  

   148.    Terms used in this Part  
   149.    Restraint on bank accounts  
   150.    Control of trust moneys by Legal Contribution Trust  
   151.    Special powers of the Board  
   152.    Functions of supervising solicitor  
   153.    Payment of moneys out of separate account  
   154.    Power of Board to appoint legal practitioner to inquire into and report on practice  
   155.    Board may apply to State Administrative Tribunal for an order  
   156.    Power of State Administrative Tribunal  
   157.    Effect of certain orders  
   158.    Offence

   PART 12 -- Complaints and discipline

           Division 1 -- General  

   159.    Term used in this Part  
   160.    Application  
   161.    Jurisdiction of Supreme Court not affected

           Division 2 -- Disciplinary bodies

              Subdivision 1 -- Complaints Committee  

   162.    Complaints Committee established  
   163.    Members of the Complaints Committee  
   164.    Functions of the Complaints Committee  
   165.    Constitution and procedure of Complaints Committee  
   166.    Reports  
   167.    The Law Complaints Officer

           Division 3 -- Complaints about legal practitioners  

   175.    Making of complaints

           Division 4 -- Conciliation and disciplinary proceedings -- Complaints Committee  

   176.    Conciliation  
   177.    Summary professional disciplinary jurisdiction  
   178.    Finding where legal practitioner convicted of an offence  
   179.    Disciplinary action against foreign lawyer  
   180.    Referral by Committee to State Administrative Tribunal  
   181.    Complainant may refer complaint to State Administrative Tribunal  
   182.    Interim restrictions on practice

           Division 5 -- Disciplinary proceedings before State Administrative Tribunal  

   185.    Powers of the State Administrative Tribunal in relation to individual legal practitioner  
   186.    Disciplinary action against foreign lawyer  
   187.    Orders of the Tribunal  
   188.    Other powers of Tribunal in relation to insolvent, incapable and unfit practitioners  
   189.    Powers of Tribunal in relation to legal practitioner director where practice has not complied with insurance obligations  
   190.    Finding where legal practitioner convicted of an offence  
   194.    Court to punish

           Division 6 -- Practice and procedure  

   195.    Summons  
   196.    Representation  
   197.    Hearings generally not to be public  
   198.    Powers of disciplinary bodies  
   199.    Possession of records and other things  
   200.    Evidentiary material  
   201.    Claims of privilege

           Division 7 -- Miscellaneous  

   202.    Application for review  
   203.    Effect of striking off or suspension  
   204.    Legal practitioners struck off or suspended in other jurisdictions  
   205.    Protection of persons

   PART 13 -- Costs

           Division 1 -- The Legal Costs Committee and determination of remuneration  

   206.    Terms used in this Division  
   207.    Legal Costs Committee established  
   208.    Nominations  
   209.    Constitution and procedure  
   210.    Legal costs determinations  
   211.    Review of determinations  
   212.    Inquiries by the Legal Costs Committee  
   213.    Notice and submissions in respect of determination  
   214.    Report and publication of legal costs determinations  
   215.    Effect of determination  
   216.    Reports  
   217.    Use of staff and facilities of departments  
   218.    Funds  
   219.    Application of Financial Management Act 2006 and Auditor General Act 2006

           Division 2 -- Entitlement to remuneration  

   220.    Term used in this Division  
   221.    Costs agreement  
   222.    Review of costs agreement  
   223.    Saving in certain cases  
   224.    Avoidance of costs agreement in certain cases  
   225.    Security for costs  
   226.    Costs where legal practitioner employed by this State in a salaried capacity  
   227.    Act not to validate purchase of client’s interest, nor agreement for payment only in event of success

           Division 3 -- Taxation and recovery of costs  

   228.    Term used in this Division  
   229.    Taxing officer’s discretionary powers  
   230.    Bill of costs to be served before suit  
   231.    Party may request bill for detailed items  
   232.    Party charged with itemised bill may give notice of intention to tax  
   233.    Party not served with requested itemised bill may have lump sum bill taxed  
   234.    Taxing officer may order more detailed bill  
   235.    Effect of costs agreement  
   236.    Stay of recovery proceedings  
   237.    Bill of costs to be lodged with taxing officer  
   238.    Time and place of taxation  
   239.    Costs of taxation  
   240.    Certification, interest, amount, how recovered  
   241.    Taxation of Legal Aid Commission bill of costs  
   242.    Review of taxation  
   243.    Overpayments to be returnable

           Division 4 -- General  

   244.    Legal practitioner’s costs to be a first charge on the property recovered or preserved  
   245.    Town agent entitled to prior charge  
   246.    Legal practitioner may charge interest on moneys disbursed

   PART 14 -- Professional indemnity insurance  

   247.    Regulations as to professional indemnity insurance

   PART 15 -- Miscellaneous  

   248.    Evidentiary material  
   249.    Judicial notice  
   250.    Contempt of the Supreme Court  
   250A.   Constitution of State Administrative Tribunal under this Act  
   251.    Laying documents before House of Parliament that is not sitting  
   252.    Rules  
   253.    Regulations
           SCHEDULE 1 -- Provisions as to the constitution and procedure of the Board  
           SCHEDULE 2 -- Provisions as to the constitution and procedure of the Complaints Committee
           SCHEDULE 4 -- Provisions as to constitution and procedure of the Legal Costs Committee
           Compilation table


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