The Legal Services Act 2007 (Commencement No. 5, Transitory and Transitional Provisions) Order 2009

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order is the fifth commencement order made under the Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29) (“the 2007 Act”). This Order comes into force on 1st July 2009.

Article 2 brings into force various provisions of the 2007 Act. The following table shows the effect of those provisions:

Article of Order	Provisions Commenced	Effect
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraphs 3, 15 and 22	Insert new sections 1B, 13ZA, 13ZB, 17A and 17B into the Solicitors Act 1974 (c. 47)(“the 1974 Act”) to enhance the Law Society’s powers over sole solicitors.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraphs 5, 8(3) to (5), 16, 17, 20 and 41(3) to (6)	Amend the 1974 Act to remove the functions of the Master of the Rolls (a) in respect of the approval of Law Society rules and regulations and (b) as an appellate authority in relation to Law Society decisions.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 6	Amends section 6 of the 1974 Act to simplify the statutory requirements about the keeping of the roll.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 7(a)	Amends section 7 of the 1974 Act to allow for admission of solicitors by the Law Society rather than the Master of the Rolls.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 19	Amend the 1974 Act to change the practising certificate regime (including fees payable and appeals). Paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 14 substitute new provisions for the existing sections 9, 10, 11 and 13. Paragraphs 12, 13 and 18 omit sections 12, 12A and 14. Paragraph 19 makes consequential amendments to section 15.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 23	Amends the 1974 Act to substitute a new section 18 which provides for extracts from the roll or register to be used as evidence of qualification as a solicitor.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 30	Amends section 28 of the 1974 Act to give the Law Society new powers to make regulations about admission as a solicitor; the keeping of the roll; practising certificates; sole solicitor endorsements; and the keeping of the register of holders of practising certificates.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 40	Omits section 40 which prohibited solicitors from commencing or defending actions while in prison.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraphs 49(a), (c) and (e), 50(a)(i), 51 and 52	Amend sections 47, 48 and 49 of, and insert a new section 49A into, the 1974 Act to alter the jurisdiction and powers of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the path of appeals from and to that Tribunal.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 54(2)(b)	Amends section 56 of the 1974 Act to provide for the committee determining the remuneration for non-contentious business to include a member of the Legal Services Board.
2(a) (part)	Schedule 16, paragraph 75(b) and (c)(in part)	Amends section 87 of the 1974 Act to omit certain definitions.
2(b)	Schedule 16, paragraphs 128(d), (e)(ii), (f) and (g), 129, 135 and 138	Amend provisions in Schedule 14 to the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41) about registered foreign lawyers in order to achieve consistency with changes introduced by the Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29).
2(c)	Schedule 23 (generally)	Makes repeals which are consequential upon the changes described above.

Article 3(1) prescribes the concurrence requirements for Law Society rules and regulations (made under sections 13ZA and 28 of the Solicitors Act 1974) until such time as the Law Society’s regulatory arrangements are approved by the Legal Services Board.

Article 3(2) prescribes the purposes for which Law Society practising fees may be applied and the concurrence requirements for the level of those fees until such time as practising fees are controlled by the Legal Services Board in accordance with section 51 of the Legal Services Act 2007.

Article 4 makes transitional provision for appeals made to the Master of the Rolls before 1st July 2009 to continue to be heard by him.

An impact assessment has not been prepared for this Order, but a full Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared for the Legal Services Bill in November 2006, supplemented in June 2007. Copies of those documents are annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside this instrument on the OPSI website.