Legal Profession (Practice) Regulations 2008 (NI)

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NORFOLK  ISLAND

 

LEGAL PROFESSION (PRACTICE) REGULATIONS 2008

 

Regulations No. 4 of 2008

________

 

I, Owen Edward John Walsh, Acting Administrator of Norfolk Island, acting in accordance with the advice of the Executive Council of Norfolk Island, make the following Regulations under Section 46 of the Legal Profession Act 1993.

 

Dated 24 June 2008.

O.E.J. Walsh

 Acting Administrator

By His Honour’s Command

S.V. Jack

Minister for the Environment, Education and Social Welfare

Acting at the request of and for and on behalf of Minister for Tourism and Health

________

 

Short title

 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Legal Profession (Practice) Regulations 2008.

Commencement

 2. These Regulations are effective from 1 July 2008.

Interpretation

 3. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears 

“Act” means the Legal Profession Act 1993.

“current practitioner” means a practitioner who holds a Norfolk Island certificate of entitlement to practise.

Register of Practitioners

 4. The Register of Practitioners under section 11 of the Act shall contain at least the following information —

  (a)  the full name of each practitioner.

  (b) the Roll or Rolls of the High Court or of the Supreme Court of a State or Territory upon which each practitioner’s name appears;

  (c)  the principal address at which the practitioner carries on business either alone or in partnership or as an employee;

  (d) after 1 July 2008, a statement of whether or not the practitioner is authorised to receive trust money;

  (e)  the date upon which a certificate of entitlement to practice was issued to each resident practitioner and if renewed, when so renewed;

  (f)  the date upon which the practitioner’s name was entered.

Statutory declaration by person who did not hold trust money in an audit year

 5. After 1 July 2008, for the purposes of section 30(1) of the Act the prescribed form of statutory declaration is Form 1 of Schedule 1.

Statutory declaration by person who ceases to hold trust money

 6. (1) After 1 July 2008, if a practitioner ceases to hold any trust money before the end of a financial year the practitioner must make and provide to the auditor a statement in the prescribed form within 14 days of so ceasing.

  (2) The prescribed form of statutory declaration under this regulation is Form 2 of Schedule 1.

Application for entry on Register of Practitioners and Oath or affirmation

 7. (1) For the purpose of establishing entitlement to practice as a practitioner the prescribed form of application by a resident practitioner is Form 1 of Schedule 2

  (2) For the purpose of renewing a certificate of entitlement to practise the form is Form 2 of Schedule 2

 (3) The form of Oath or affirmation to be provided by an applicant under subregulation (1) is in Schedule 6.

Fees for certificate of entitlement to practise

 8. The prescribed fee for a Norfolk Island certificate of entitlement to practise is —

  (a) for a certificate of entitlement to practise of a resident practitioner authorising the receipt of trust money — 3 fee units;

  (b) after 1 July, 2008, for a certificate of entitlement to practise of a resident practitioner not authorising the receipt of trust money —

   if the applicant is a current practitioner — 2 fee units

   if the practitioner is not a current practitioner — 1 fee unit.

  (c) for a certificate of entitlement to practise of a resident practitioner that is valid for part of a year only, the number of fee units that bears the same proportion to the relevant fee in paragraph (a) or (b) as the period of validity of the certificate bears to the whole year, rounded up to a whole fee unit.

Form of certificate of entitlement to practise

 9. A Norfolk Island certificate of entitlement to practise shall be in the form in Schedule 3.

Validity of certificate of entitlement to practise

 10. (1) A certificate of entitlement to practise is valid until 30 June following its issue.

  (2) A person whose certificate of entitlement to practise has expired ceases to be a current practitioner and is not entitled to practise.

Application of the Act to the Administration

 11. (1) In accordance with section 44(2) of the Act, a person who would but for this Regulation be entitled to be admitted to practise as a practitioner and who is employed by the Administration as a practitioner or who is employed or appointed in a legal capacity in an office described in Schedule 4 is taken to hold, for the purposes of the Act and for the purposes of that employment, a Norfolk Island certificate of entitlement to practise as a practitioner as a barrister and solicitor or barrister or solicitor for the period during which the person is so employed and any such person may apply to the Registrar to be entered on the Register of Practitioners.

  (2) A person whose name is entered on the Register of Practitioners under subsection (1) and who ceases to hold an office described in Schedule 4 shall be removed from the Register at his or her request or by the Registrar of his or her own motion.

   (3) A request under subregulation (1) shall be in accordance with the form in Schedule 5.

Powers of Supreme Court not affected

12. Nothing in these Regulation affect the power of the Supreme Court to take or enforce disciplinary proceedings against a person under the Act or under the Supreme Court Act 1960 or Rules of Court.

Schedule 1

Form 1

Regulation 5

Legal Profession Act 1993

Statutory Declaration by Legal Practitioner or Firm that did not hold Trust Money in an Audit Year

I, [insert full name] , of [insert address]

DECLARE THAT:

1. I am */a legal practitioner/a partner of a firm/who/that is authorised to receive trust money.

2. *I/The firm of which I am a partner did not hold any trust money within the meaning of section 22 of the Legal Profession Act 1993 during the audit year ending on 30 June [insert year].

I acknowledge that this declaration is true and correct and I make it in the belief that a person making a false declaration is liable to the penalties of perjury.

DECLARED AT [place]
in Norfolk island
on [date]
Before:

[Name and address in legible
writing, type or stamp below
signature]

a person authorised to witness the signing
of a statutory declaration.

* Omit words not applicable

__________________

Form 2

Regulation 6(2)

Legal Profession Act 1993

Statutory Declaration by Legal Practitioner or Firm that Ceases to hold Trust Money

I, [insert full name] , of [insert address]

DECLARE THAT:

1. I am or was *a legal practitioner/a partner of a firm *who/that ceased to be authorised to receive trust money on [insert date].

2. *I/The firm of which I am a partner ceased to hold trust money within the meaning of section 22 of the Legal Profession Act 1993 on [insert date] and *do/does not now hold any trust money, all such trust money having been applied in accordance with that Act.

I acknowledge that this declaration is true and correct and I make it in the belief that a person making a false declaration is liable to the penalties of perjury.

DECLARED AT [place]
in Norfolk Island
on [date]
Before:

[Name and address in legible
writing, type or stamp below
signature]

a person to witness the signing
of a statutory declaration.

* Omit words not applicable

__________________

Schedule 2

Form 1

Regulation 7(1)

Application by resident practitioner to be entered on the Register of Practitioners

To:

 The Registrar of the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island

I, [name] of [address] apply to be entered on the Register of Practitioners.

My name has been entered on the Roll of barristers/solicitors/barristers and solicitors/legal practitioners/lawyers* of the High Court/Supreme Court of the State/Territory of * and has not since been suspended or cancelled.

I am not otherwise prohibited from carrying on the practice of barrister/solicitor/barrister and solicitor/legal practitioner/lawyer* in any State or Territory as a result of any criminal, civil or disciplinary proceedings.

I consent to the making of inquiries of and the exchange of information with the authorities of any Sate or Territory regarding my activities in the practice of barrister/solicitor/barrister and solicitor/legal practitioner/lawyer* regarding matters relevant to this application.

My application fee is enclosed.                

 

…………………………….

Signature of applicant

Date:

*delete as appropriate

Form 2

Application for renewal of certificate of entitlement to practise

Regulation 7(2)

To:

 The Registrar of the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island.

I, [name] of [address] apply for renewal of my certificate of entitlement to practise.

Since my application to be entered on the Register of Practitioners/the issue of my certificate of entitlement to practice* my name has not been removed or suspended from the Register in respect of which my name has been entered on the Register of Practitioners nor from any other Register and I remain entitled to be entered on the Register of Practitioners.

My renewal application fee is enclosed.

 

…………………..

Date:

*delete as appropriate

Schedule 3

Regulation 8

Norfolk Island Certificate of entitlement to practise

This is to certify that [name] is entitled to engage in legal practice as a *sole practitioner/partner in a firm/employee of another practitioner/employee of a firm] in Norfolk Island in accordance with the Legal Profession Act 1993 and in accordance with the Act is/is not authorised to receive trust money.

This certificate expires on 30 June 20   .

……………………………… 

Registrar of the Supreme Court

*delete as required

Schedule 4

Regulation 9(1)

Norfolk Island Administration Offices

The offices of—

Crown Counsel

Deputy Crown Counsel

Legislative Counsel

Counsel

Registrar of Titles

Registrar of Companies

Registrar of Associations

Curator of Deceased Estates

 

Schedule 5

Regulation 9(4)

Form of application by the holder of a Norfolk Island Administration Office

To the Registrar of the Supreme Court

I, [name] of [address]  declare that my name has been entered on the Roll of barristers/solicitors/barristers and solicitors/legal practitioners/lawyers* of the High Court/Supreme Court of the State/Territory of *                            and I am a person employed by the Administration of Norfolk Island in the office of ……………*being an office described in Schedule 3 of the Legal Profession (Practice) Rules, and request that my name be entered on the Register of Practitioners

………………………………

(Signature of applicant)

* insert description of office from Schedule 4 of the Legal Profession (Practice) Rules

 

Schedule 6

Oath or Affirmation

Regulation 7(3)

 

OATH OF OFFICE

I swear by almighty God that I will well and honestly conduct myself in the practice of my profession as a practitioner and as an officer of this honourable Court to the best of my knowledge and ability.

 

AFFIRMATION OF OFFICE

I solemnly sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will well and honestly conduct myself in the practice of my profession as a practitioner and as an officer of this honourable Court to the best of my knowledge and ability.

 

 

Notified Gazette No. 29, 27 June 2008.

Commenced on gazettal (27 June 2008).

Printed on the authority of the Administrator.

© Norfolk Island Government 1 July 2008

The Copyright Act 1968 of the Commonwealth of Australia permits certain reproduction and publication of this legislation.  For reproduction or publication beyond that permitted by the Act, written permission must be sought from the Legislative Counsel, Administration of Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island, South Pacific 2899.

Overview

The Legal Profession (Practice) Regulations 2008 were enacted under Section 46 of the Legal Profession Act 1993 to provide a framework for the regulation of the legal profession on Norfolk Island. The regulations were made by the Acting Administrator of Norfolk Island, acting on the advice of the Executive Council, and came into effect on 1 July 2008. The objective of these regulations is to ensure that legal practitioners on Norfolk Island are properly registered and authorised to practice, maintaining standards of professional conduct and trust management. The regulations outline the requirements for maintaining a Register of Practitioners, the application process for registration and renewal of certificates, statutory declarations for practitioners who do not hold trust money or cease to hold it, and the fees associated with obtaining a certificate of entitlement to practice. These regulations ensure that the legal profession on Norfolk Island adheres to the necessary standards and regulations as stipulated by the Legal Profession Act 1993.

Scope and Application

The Legal Profession (Practice) Regulations 2008 apply to legal practitioners on Norfolk Island who wish to practice law there. They detail the requirements for practitioners to be entered on the Register of Practitioners, including information that must be included such as full name, court rolls, address, and whether they are authorised to receive trust money. These regulations are applicable to resident practitioners who hold a Norfolk Island certificate of entitlement to practice, including those employed by the Administration of Norfolk Island in specified legal offices. The certificate of entitlement is valid until 30 June following its issue, and practitioners not holding such a certificate or having an expired one are not permitted to practice. The regulations also cover statutory declarations, fees, and the form of certificate, while explicitly stating that the powers of the Supreme Court are not affected. Subordinate instruments may extend or further detail these regulations, but the primary application remains within the jurisdictional scope of Norfolk Island.

Key Provisions

The Legal Profession (Practice) Regulations 2008 (hereafter referred to as the "Regulations") provide a detailed framework for the practice of law on Norfolk Island. The Regulations, made under Section 46 of the Legal Profession Act 1993, set out various provisions for the registration and conduct of legal practitioners on the island. These Regulations came into effect on 1 July 2008 and outline the specific details required for the Register of Practitioners, the process for statutory declarations, the application procedures for registration, and the fees associated with the practice of law. The Regulations require that the Register of Practitioners must include the full name of each practitioner, the Roll or Rolls of the High Court or of the Supreme Court of a State or Territory upon which each practitioner's name appears, the practitioner's principal address, and whether the practitioner is authorised to receive trust money. Furthermore, it mandates the inclusion of the date a certificate of entitlement to practice was issued and the date a practitioner's name was entered on the Register. The prescribed forms for statutory declarations are specified in Schedule 1, with Form 1 to be used for practitioners who did not hold trust money in an audit year, and Form 2 for those who cease to hold trust money before the end of a financial year. The application forms for entry on the Register of Practitioners and the Oath or affirmation to be provided by an applicant are detailed in Schedule 2. The Regulations impose obligations on legal practitioners to provide accurate and complete information for their registration and to make statutory declarations when required. Practitioners must submit the appropriate forms and fees, as stipulated in the Regulations. For example, the prescribed fee for a Norfolk Island certificate of entitlement to practise varies depending on whether the practitioner is a resident, authorises the receipt of trust money, and whether they are a current practitioner. Additionally, the form of certificate of entitlement to practise is prescribed in Schedule 3, and the validity of the certificate is set until 30 June following its issue. Practitioners whose certificates have expired are no longer considered current practitioners and are not entitled to practise. Breaches of the Regulations may result in civil or criminal consequences. For instance, making a false statutory declaration is liable to the penalties of perjury. The Regulations do not explicitly detail specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences but imply that such breaches would be subject to the broader legal provisions under the Legal Profession Act 1993 and other applicable laws. The power of the Supreme Court to take or enforce disciplinary proceedings against a person under the Act or the Supreme Court Act 1960 remains unaffected by these Regulations. Therefore, any serious breaches could potentially lead to disciplinary actions, fines, or other penalties as prescribed by the relevant legal authorities.

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