The European Communities (Lawyer’s Practice) Regulations 2000

PART IIIREGISTRATION

Establishment and maintenance of registers of European lawyers

15.  Each professional body shall establish and maintain a register of registered European lawyers.

Application to be entered on a register

16.—(1) Subject to regulation 18, a European lawyer who wishes to pursue professional activities under his home professional title on a permanent basis in England and Wales or Northern Ireland shall apply to be entered on the register maintained by a professional body.

(2) A European lawyer who wishes to register with a professional body in accordance with paragraph (1) shall provide the professional body with a certificate confirming his registration with the competent authority in each home State under whose home professional title he intends to practise.

(3) A professional body may require that the certificate referred to in paragraph (2) shall not have been issued more than three months before the date of the application under this regulation.

(4) An application for registration under this regulation shall comply with any applicable regulations made by the relevant professional body and be accompanied by the appropriate fee.

(5) Subject to regulation 18, a European lawyer may apply to be entered on the registers maintained by more than one professional body.

(6) In this regulation, “professional body” includes the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates.

Registration by professional body

17.—(1) Subject to regulation 18, a professional body shall enter on its register the name of a European lawyer who applies to it in accordance with regulation 16.

(2) Where a professional body registers a European lawyer in accordance with paragraph (1), it shall inform the competent authority in the home State of the registration.

Restrictions on registration

18.—(1) A European lawyer shall not be registered at the same time both with one of the solicitors' professional bodies and with one of the barristers' professional bodies.

(2) An Irish solicitor shall not be entered on a register maintained under regulation 15 by any of the barristers' professional bodies.

(3) An Irish barrister shall not be entered on a register maintained under regulation 15 by any of the solicitors' professional bodies.

(4) A European lawyer registered with the Law Society of Scotland shall not be entered on a register maintained under regulation 15 by any of the barristers' professional bodies.

(5) A European lawyer registered with the Faculty of Advocates shall not be entered on a register maintained under regulation 15 by any of the solicitors' professional bodies.

Time limit for decision and notification by professional body

19.—(1) A professional body shall consider an application for registration under regulation 16 as soon as is reasonably practicable, and shall notify the European lawyer of its decision, and if the application is rejected or granted subject to conditions, the reasons upon which the rejection or the imposition of conditions is based, within four months of receipt of an application complying with regulation 16(2) and (4).

(2) Where the professional body fails to take a decision and notify the European lawyer within four months in accordance with paragraph (1), it shall be deemed to have taken a decision to reject his application and to have notified it to him on the last day of that period.

(3) Where a professional body withdraws or suspends a registration, it shall notify the European lawyer of its decision and of the reasons upon which the withdrawal or suspension is based.

Appeal by European lawyer

20.—(1) Within three months of the notification to him of the professional body’s decision, or later with the permission of the appeal body, the European lawyer may appeal against the decision to the appeal body specified in Schedule 1.

(2) An appeal body may, for the purpose of determining any appeal under this Part—

(a)order the professional body to register the European lawyer;

(b)refuse the appeal; or

(c)remit the matter to the professional body with such directions as the appeal body sees fit.

(3) The appeal body shall give reasons for its decision.

Offence of pretending to be a registered European lawyer

21.—(1) A person who is not registered as a European lawyer in any part of the United Kingdom (including a person whose registration has been suspended) and—

(a)wilfully pretends to be a registered European lawyer or takes or uses any name, title, designation or description implying that he is a registered European lawyer; or

(b)subject to paragraph (2), carries on professional activities under one of the professional titles listed in regulation 2(4) or under any name, designation or description implying that he is entitled to pursue those activities under one of those professional titles;

shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the fourth level on the standard scale.

(2) Paragraph (1)(b) shall not apply to a person who satisfies any of the following conditions—

(a)he is not a national of the United Kingdom or of any of the States listed in regulation 2(4);

(b)he is a solicitor or barrister or, under the law of Scotland, a solicitor or advocate; or

(c)he is providing services within the meaning of the European Communities (Services of Lawyers) Order 1978 at the time his activities fall within paragraph (1)(b).

Costs and fees of an unregistered European lawyer

22.  Where a European lawyer is carrying on professional activities under his home professional title in England and Wales or Northern Ireland but is not registered as a European lawyer in any part of the United Kingdom (including a person whose registration has been suspended), any costs or fees in respect of those activities shall not be recoverable by him or any other person.

Evidence of registration

23.  Any certificate purporting to be signed by an officer of a professional body and stating that a person—

(a)is, or is not, registered with that professional body; or

(b)was, or was not, registered with that professional body during a period specified in the certificate,

shall, unless the contrary is proved, be evidence of that fact and be taken to have been so signed.

Publication of names of registered European lawyers

24.—(1) Where a professional body publishes the names of solicitors or barristers registered with it, it shall also publish the names of any European lawyers registered with it.

(2) In this regulation, “publishes” or “publish” includes the provision of information to a legal publisher.