Section 18A: The Consultative Panel., Courts and Legal Services Act 1990

The Secretary of State shall appoint persons to form a panel to be known as the Legal Services Consultative Panel.

In appointing persons to the Consultative Panel the Secretary of State shall have regard to the desirability of securing that the Consultative Panel includes persons who (between them) have experience in or knowledge of—

the provision of legal services;

the lay advice sector;

civil or criminal proceedings and the working of the courts;

legal education and training;

the maintenance of the professional standards of persons who provide legal services;

the maintenance of standards in professions other than the legal profession;

consumer affairs;

commercial affairs; and

social conditions.

The Consultative Panel shall have—

the duty of assisting in the maintenance and development of standards in the education, training and conduct of persons offering legal services by considering relevant issues in accordance with a programme of work approved by the Secretary of State and, where the Consultative Panel considers it appropriate to do so, making recommendations to him;

the duty of providing to the Secretary of State , at his request, advice about particular matters relating to any aspect of the provision of legal services (including the education, training and conduct of persons offering legal services); and

the functions conferred or imposed on it by other provisions of this Act or any other enactment.

The Consultative Panel may, in performance of the duty in subsection (3)(a), seek information from or give advice to any body or person.

The Secretary of State shall publish—

any recommendations made to him by the Consultative Panel in performance of the duty in paragraph (a) of subsection (3); and

any advice provided to him by the Consultative Panel in performance of the duty in paragraph (b) of that subsection.

The Secretary of State shall consider any recommendations made to him by the Consultative Panel in performance of the duty in subsection (3)(a).

The Secretary of State—

shall make available to the Consultative Panel appropriate administrative support; and

may pay to any of the persons forming it any such allowances, and make any such reimbursement of expenses, as he considers appropriate.

For the purposes of the law of defamation the publication of any advice by the Consultative Panel in the exercise of any of its functions shall be absolutely privileged.

Section 18A: The Consultative Panel.

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