SAIn ForceAct
Legal Practitioners Act 1981
Div 2CFurther provisions relating to practising certificates
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Division 2C—Further provisions relating to practising certificates
20AJ Immediate suspension of practising certificate
20AK Surrender and cancellation of practising certificate
Division 3—Entitlement to practise etc
21 Entitlement to practise
22 Practising while under suspension etc
23 Unlawful representation
23AA Employment of disqualified person
Division 3A—Provisions relating to interstate legal practice
23A Interstate legal practitioners to be officers of Court
23B Limitations or conditions on practice under laws of participating States
23C Additional conditions on practice of interstate legal practitioners
23D Notification of establishment of office required
Division 3B—Provisions relating to community legal centres
23E Community legal centres
23F Obligations and privileges of practitioners who are officers or employees
23G Undue influence
23H Application of legal profession rules
23I Costs
Division 4—Provisions regulating legal practice by corporations
24 Application of Schedule 1
Division 4A—Provisions regulating the practise of foreign law
24A Application of Schedule 1A
Division 5—Provisions regulating trust money and trust accounts
25 Application of Schedule 2
Division 6—Delivery up of legal papers
39 Delivery up of legal papers
Division 7—Authority of a legal practitioner to act on behalf of a person of unsound mind
40 Authority of legal practitioner or foreign lawyer to act on behalf of person of unsound mind
Division 8—Costs disclosure and adjudication
41 Application of Schedule 3
Division 9—Appointment of supervisors and managers
43A Interpretation
44 Control over trust accounts of legal practitioners
45 Appointment of manager
46 Appeal against appointment of supervisor or manager
47 Application for directions
48 Remuneration etc of persons appointed to exercise powers conferred by this Division
Division 10—Restriction on practice if corporation wound up
49 Supreme Court may grant authority permitting director to practise
Division 11—Right of personal representative etc to carry on legal practice
50 Supreme Court may authorise personal representative etc to carry on legal practice
Division 12—Right of audience
51 Right of audience
Division 13—Professional indemnity insurance scheme
52 Professional indemnity insurance scheme
52AA Professional indemnity insurance required by interstate practitioners etc
52AAB Professional indemnity insurance where no office established in this State
Division 14—Miscellaneous
52A Rules of Supreme Court may assign functions or powers
Part 4—The combined trust account and other related accounts
Division 1—The combined trust account
52B Application to incorporated legal practices
53 Duty to deposit trust money in combined trust account
55 Immunity from liability
Division 2—The statutory interest account
56 Statutory interest account
Division 3—Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund
57 Fidelity Fund
Division 4—Miscellaneous
57A Payment of interest accruing on trust accounts
58 Accounts and audit
59 Power to borrow for purposes of this Part
Part 5—Claims against Fidelity Fund
60 Claims
60A Personal representative may make claim
61 Limitation of claims
62 Power to require evidence
63 Establishment of validity of claims
64 Satisfaction of claims
64A Advance payments
65 Rights of the Society
66 Claims by legal practitioners and incorporated legal practices
67 Insurance in respect of claims against Fidelity Fund
67A Annual report
Part 6—Investigations, inquiries and disciplinary proceedings
Division 1—Preliminary
67B Application of Part
68 Unsatisfactory professional conduct
69 Professional misconduct
70 Conduct capable of constituting unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct
Division 2—Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
Subdivision 1—Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
71 Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
72 Functions
73 Terms and conditions of appointment
74 Acting Commissioner
75 Honesty and accountability
76 Staff of Commissioner
77 Delegation
77A Exchange of information between Commissioner and Council
Subdivision 2—Investigation of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct
77B Investigations by Commissioner
77C Closure of whole or part of complaint
77D Notification of complaint to practitioner
77E Submissions by legal practitioner
77F Exceptions to requirement for notification of complaint
Subdivision 3—Action following investigation
77G Interpretation
77H Report on investigation
77I Commissioner to notify persons of suspected loss
77J Powers of Commissioner to deal with certain unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct
77K Appeal against determination of Commissioner
77L Commissioner must lay charge in certain circumstances
77M Commissioner to provide reasons
Subdivision 4—Complaints of overcharging
77N Investigation of allegation of overcharging
Subdivision 5—Conciliation
77O Commissioner may conciliate complaints
Division 3—The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal
78 Establishment of Tribunal
79 Conditions of membership
80 Constitution and proceedings of Tribunal
81 Validity of acts of the Tribunal and immunity of its members
Division 4—Proceedings before the Tribunal
82 Inquiries
83 Notice of inquiry
84 Powers of Tribunal
84A Proceedings to be generally in public
84B Tribunal's proceedings to be privileged
84C Stay of proceedings
85 Costs
86 Appeal
87 Operation of order may be suspended
88 Rules of the Tribunal
Division 5—Disciplinary proceedings before the Supreme Court
88A Supreme Court's inherent jurisdiction
89 Proceedings before Supreme Court
89A Court may order interim suspension of legal practitioner or impose interim conditions
Division 6—Publicising disciplinary action
89B Definitions
89C Register of Disciplinary Action
89D Other means of publicising disciplinary action
89E Quashing of disciplinary action
89F Liability for publicising disciplinary action
90 General
Division 6A—Provisions relating to interstate legal practice
90AA Conduct of local legal practitioners outside State
90AB Conduct not to be the subject of separate proceedings
90AC Referral or request for investigation of matter to regulatory authority in participating State
90AD Dealing with matter following referral or request by regulatory authority in participating State
90AE Furnishing information
90AF Local legal practitioners are subject to interstate regulatory authorities
Division 7—Annual reports
90A Annual reports
Division 8—Professional mentoring agreements
90B Professional mentoring agreements
Part 7—Appointment of Senior Counsel etc
91 Appointment of Senior Counsel
92 No further appointment of King's Counsel etc
93 Revocation and resignation of appointments
Part 8—Miscellaneous
95 Application of certain revenues
95AA Agreements and arrangements with other regulatory authorities
95A Inspection of documents
95B False or misleading information
95BA Mortgage financing
95C Self-incrimination and legal professional privilege
95D Service of notices and documents
95E Wills register
96 Summary offences
97 Regulations
98 Review of operation of Act in relation to barristers
Schedule 1—Incorporated legal practices
A1 Interpretation
1 Nature of incorporated legal practice
2 Prohibition of non‑legal services and businesses
3 Corporations eligible to be incorporated legal practice
3A Incorporated legal practices may practise in partnership
4 Notice of intention to start providing legal services
4A Notice to be given by incorporated legal practice of intention to practise in partnership
5 Notice to be given by companies that were formerly legal practitioners
5A Notice to be given by incorporated legal practice providing legal services in partnership
6 Prohibition on representations that corporation is incorporated legal practice
7 Notice of termination of provision of legal services
8 Incorporated legal practice must have legal practitioner director
9 Obligations of legal practitioner director relating to misconduct
10 Incorporated legal practice without legal practitioner director
11 Obligations and privileges of practitioners who are officers or employees
12 Professional indemnity insurance
13 Conflicts of interest
14 Application of legal profession rules
15 Requirements relating to advertising
16 Extension of vicarious liability relating to failure to account, pay or deliver and dishonesty to incorporated legal practices
17 Sharing of receipts, revenue or other income
18 Disqualified persons
19 Audit of incorporated legal practice
20 Application of Schedule 4 (Investigatory powers)
21 Banning of incorporated legal practices
22 Disqualification from managing incorporated legal practice
23 Disclosure of information to Australian Securities and Investments Commission
24 External administration proceedings under Corporations Act 2001
25 External administration proceedings under other legislation
26 Cooperation between courts
27 Relationship of Act to constitution of incorporated legal practice
28 Relationship of Act to legislation establishing incorporated legal practice
29 Relationship of Act to Corporations legislation
30 Undue influence
31 Obligations of individual practitioners not affected
32 Regulations
Schedule 1A—Foreign lawyers
2 This Schedule does not apply to Australian legal practitioners
3 Professional conduct rules
Part 2—Practice of foreign law
4 Requirement for registration
5 Entitlement of Australian-registered foreign lawyer to practise in this jurisdiction
6 Scope of practice
7 Form of practice
8 Application of Australian professional ethical and practice standards
9 Designation
10 Letterhead and other identifying documents
11 Advertising
12 Foreign lawyer employing Australian legal practitioner
13 Trust money and trust accounts
14 Professional indemnity insurance
15 Fidelity Fund
Part 3—Local registration of foreign lawyers generally
16 Local registration of foreign lawyers
17 Duration of registration
18 Locally registered foreign lawyer is not officer of Supreme Court
Part 4—Applications for grant or renewal of local registration
19 Application for grant or renewal of registration
20 Manner of application
21 Requirements regarding applications for grant or renewal of registration
Part 5—Grant or renewal of registration
22 Grant or renewal of registration
23 Requirement to grant or renew registration if criteria satisfied
24 Refusal to grant or renew registration
Part 6—Amendment, suspension or cancellation of local registration
25 Application of Part
26 Grounds for amending, suspending or cancelling registration
27 Amending, suspending or cancelling registration
28 Operation of amendment, suspension or cancellation of registration
29 Other ways of amending or cancelling registration
30 Relationship of this Part with Part 6 of Act
Part 7—Special powers in relation to local registration—show cause events
31 Applicant for local registration—show cause event
32 Locally registered foreign lawyer—show cause event
33 Refusal, amendment, suspension or cancellation of local registration—failure to show cause
34 Restriction on making further applications
35 Relationship of this Part with Part 6 and Schedule 4
Part 8—Further provisions relating to local registration
36 Immediate suspension of registration
37 Surrender of local registration certificate and cancellation of registration
38 Automatic cancellation of registration on grant of practising certificate
39 Suspension or cancellation of registration not to affect disciplinary processes
40 Return of local registration certificate on amendment, suspension or cancellation of registration
Part 9—Conditions on registration
41 Conditions generally
42 Conditions imposed by Society
43 Statutory condition regarding notification of offence
44 Conditions imposed by legal profession rules
45 Compliance with conditions
Part 10—Interstate-registered foreign lawyers
46 Extent of entitlement of interstate-registered foreign lawyers to practise in this jurisdiction
47 Additional conditions on practice of interstate-registered foreign lawyers
Part 11—Miscellaneous
48 Consideration and investigation of applicants and locally registered foreign lawyers
49 Register of locally registered foreign lawyers
50 Publication of information about locally registered foreign lawyers
51 Exemption by Society
52 Membership of professional association
Schedule 2—Trust money and trust accounts
2 Money granted or provided under contract to community legal centre
3 Determinations about status of money
4 Application of Schedule to law practices and trust money
5 Protocols for determining where trust money is received
6 When money is received
7 Discharge by legal practitioner associate of obligations of law practice
8 Liability of principals of law practice
9 Former practices, principals and associates
10 Barristers not to receive trust money
Part 2—Trust accounts and trust money
11 Maintenance of general trust account
12 Certain trust money to be deposited in general trust account
13 Holding, disbursing and accounting for trust money
14 Manner of withdrawal of trust money from general trust account
15 Controlled money
16 Manner of withdrawal of controlled money from controlled money account
17 Transit money
18 Trust money subject to specific powers
19 Trust money received in form of cash
20 Protection of trust money
21 Intermixing money
22 Dealing with trust money—legal costs and unclaimed money
23 Deficiency in trust account
24 Reporting certain irregularities and suspected irregularities
25 Keeping trust records
26 False names
27 Interest payable if law practice fails to deposit trust money
Part 3—Investigations and external examinations
Division 1—Investigations
28 Appointment of investigators
29 Investigations
30 Application of Schedule 4
31 Investigator's report
32 When costs of investigation are debt
Division 2—External examinations
33 Designation of external examiners
34 Trust records to be externally examined
35 Examination of affairs in connection with examination of trust records
36 Designation and appointment of associates as external examiners
37 Final examination of trust records
38 Carrying out examination
39 External examiner's report
40 Law practice liable for costs of examination
Part 4—Provisions relating to ADIs
41 Approval of ADIs
42 ADI not subject to certain obligations and liabilities
43 Reports, records and information
44 Restrictions on receipt of trust money
45 Protection from liability
46 Application of Schedule to incorporated legal practices
47 Disclosure to clients—money not received as trust money
48 Disclosure of accounts used to hold money entrusted to law practice or legal practitioner associate
49 Regulations
Schedule 3—Costs disclosure and adjudication
1 Interpretation
2 Terms relating to third party payers
Part 2—Application of Schedule
3 Application of Schedule—first instructions rule
4 Schedule also applies by agreement or at client's election
5 Displacement of Schedule
6 First instructions to law practice
7 Substantial connection of matter with State
8 Application of different laws
Part 3—Costs disclosure
9 Disclosure not required by barrister
10 Disclosure of costs to clients
11 Disclosure if another law practice is to be retained
12 Timing of disclosure to client
13 Exceptions to requirement for disclosure
14 Additional disclosure—settlement of litigious matters
15 Additional disclosure—uplift fees
16 Form of disclosure
17 Ongoing obligation to disclose
18 Effect of failure to disclose
19 Progress reports
20 Disclosures to associated third party payers
Part 4—Legal costs generally
21 Recovery of legal costs
22 Security for legal costs
23 Interest on unpaid legal costs
Part 5—Costs agreements
24 Making costs agreements
25 Conditional costs agreements
26 Conditional costs agreements involving uplift fees
27 Contingency fees are prohibited
28 Effect of costs agreement
29 Certain costs agreements are void
30 Setting aside costs agreements
Part 6—Billing
31 Legal costs cannot be recovered unless bill has been served
32 Bills
33 Notification of client's rights
34 Request for itemised bill
35 Interim bills
Part 7—Adjudication of costs
36 Definition
37 Application by clients or third party payers for adjudication of costs
38 Application for adjudication by law practice retaining another law practice
39 Application for adjudication of costs by law practice giving bill
40 Application may be dismissed
41 Power of Supreme Court on application for adjudication
42 Commissioner may institute proceedings
43 Court may order plaintiff to apply for adjudication
44 Consequences of application
45 Persons to be notified of application
46 Criteria for adjudication
47 Adjudication of costs by reference to costs agreement
48 Adjudication of costs by reference to scale of costs
49 Costs of adjudication
50 Referral for disciplinary action
51 Contracting out of Part by sophisticated clients
Part 8—Miscellaneous
52 Application of Schedule to incorporated legal practices
53 Imputed acts, omissions or knowledge
Schedule 4—Investigatory powers
Part 2—Requirements relating to documents, information and other assistance
2 Application of Part
3 Requirements that may be imposed for investigations, examinations and audits under Schedule 2
4 Requirements that may be imposed for investigations under Part 6
5 Provisions relating to requirements under this Part
Part 3—Entry and search of premises
6 Application of Part
7 Investigator's power to enter premises
8 Search warrants
9 Powers of investigator while on premises
Part 4—Additional powers in relation to incorporated legal practices
10 Application of Part
11 Investigative powers relating to investigations and audits
12 Examination of persons
13 Inspection of books
14 Power to hold hearings
15 Failure to comply with investigation
16 Obstruction of investigator
17 Obligation of legal practitioners
18 Protection from liability
19 Permitted disclosure of confidential information
Schedule 5—Transitional provisions
1 Closure of certain complaints
Legislative history
The Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows: