Statutes Amendment (Legal Practitioners) Bill

Final Stages

Consideration in committee of the House of Assembly's message.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I move:

That the House of Assembly's amendment be agreed to.

This involves clause 8 of the bill, which amends section 95 of the Legal Practitioners Act. This section sets out how the money collected for practising certificates and the fee under section 23D, which requires an interstate legal practitioner to give written notice to the Supreme Court if they intend to establish an office in this state, be distributed.

The intent of the notice requirements in section 23D is to ensure that the Supreme Court and the society have an up to date list of interstate legal practitioners with an office located here in South Australia. The notice requirements in new schedule 1, clauses 4 and 5, which must be accompanied by a prescribed fee, serve a similar purpose. The act does not currently set out how the revenue collected under clauses 4 and 5 of schedule 1 is to be distributed.

The effect of the amendment to section 95 is to incorporate the fees collected under clauses 4 and 5 of the new schedule 1, so that the revenue is applied towards the purposes of the act and is distributed in the same manner as the revenue from practising certificate fees and the fee for giving notice under section 23D.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: I indicate that the Liberal Party supports the motion, and accordingly concurs with amendment to section 95.

Motion carried.