The Lay Representatives (Rights of Audience) Order 1999

Made: 27th April 1999

Laid before Parliament: 27th April 1999

Coming into force: 18th May 1999

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 11 and 120 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990¹ and having consulted the Senior Presiding Judge, hereby makes the following Order:–

1

This Order may be cited as the Lay Representatives (Rights of Audience) Order 1999 and shall come into force on 18th May 1999.

2

The Lay Representatives (Rights of Audience) Order 1992² is hereby revoked.

3

• (1) Subject to paragraph (2), any person may exercise rights of audience in proceedings dealt with as a small claim in accordance with rules of court.

• (2) A lay representative may not exercise any right of audience:–

• (a) where his client does not attend the hearing;

• (b) at any stage after judgment; or

• (c) on any appeal brought against any decision made by the district judge in the proceedings.

Signed

Irvine of Lairg, C. — Dated 27th April 1999

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order provides for lay representatives to continue to exercise rights of audience in small claims cases in the county courts. Section 11 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 has been amended to facilitate the making of new Civil Procedure Rules, under which small claims cases are no longer referred to arbitration, but are allocated to a small claims track. This Order does not alter current practice, but is made as a consequence of those changes.

Footnotes