Div 3BProvisions relating to community legal centres

Division 3B—Provisions relating to community legal centres 23E—Community legal centres (1) A community legal centre does not contravene this Act merely because— (a) it employs, or otherwise uses the services of, legal practitioners to provide legal services; or (b) it has a contractual relationship with a person to whom those legal services are provided. (2) The regulations may modify or exclude the application of a provision of this Act to community legal centres or legal practitioners employed by community legal centres. (3) This section has effect despite anything to the contrary in this Act. 23F—Obligations and privileges of practitioners who are officers or employees (1) A legal practitioner who provides legal services on behalf of a community legal centre— (a) is not excused from compliance with professional obligations as a legal practitioner, or any obligations as a legal practitioner under any law; and (b) does not lose the professional privileges of a legal practitioner. (2) The regulations may make further provision in relation to the application of the professional obligations and professional privileges of a legal practitioner for the purposes of subsection (1). (3) The law relating to client legal privilege (or other legal professional privilege) is not excluded or otherwise affected because a legal practitioner is providing legal services on behalf of a community legal centre. (4) A legal practitioner who is providing legal services on behalf of a community legal centre may, for any proper purpose, disclose a matter to the officers of the centre (whether or not those officers are legal practitioners) and such disclosure will be taken not to affect the operation of client legal privilege (or other legal professional privilege). 23G—Undue influence A person must not cause or induce or attempt to cause or induce a legal practitioner who is providing legal services on behalf of a community legal centre to contravene this Act, the regulations, the legal profession rules or his or her professional obligations as a legal practitioner. 23H—Application of legal profession rules The legal profession rules, so far as they apply to legal practitioners, also apply to legal practitioners who provide legal services on behalf of a community legal centre, unless the rules otherwise provide. 23I—Costs If legal assistance has been provided to a person by a community legal centre, the centre is subrogated to the rights of the assisted person to costs in respect of that legal assistance.