{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/legal-aid-scotland-act-1986/section-41",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/legal-aid-scotland-act-1986/section-41.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1986/47",
  "legislation_title": "Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/legal-aid-scotland-act-1986",
  "path": "section/41",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "41",
  "heading": "Interpretation.",
  "text": "In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—\n“the 2011 Act” means the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1);\n“the 2019 Act” means the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 (asp 7),\n“advice and assistance” has the meaning given to it in section 6(1) of this Act;\n“adviser” has the meaning given to it in section 6(2) of this Act;\n“adviser code” means the code of practice in relation to the register of advice organisations for the time being in force under Schedule 1A to this Act;\n“assistance by way of representation” has the meaning given to it in section 6(1) of this Act;\n“the Board” has the meaning given to it in section 1(1) of this Act;\n“children's legal aid” has the meaning given to it in section 28B(2) of this Act;\n“children's legal assistance” means—\n(a)children's legal aid, and\n(b)advice and assistance in relation to children's hearings, pre-hearing panels (as defined in section 79(2)(a) of the 2011 Act) or proceedings under Part 10 or 15 of the 2011 Act or in relation to proceedings under Part 4 of the 2019 Act;\n“civil legal aid” has the meaning given to it in section 13(2) of this Act;\n“the code” means the code of practice in relation to criminal legal assistance for the time being in force under section 25B of this Act;\n“criminal legal aid” has the meaning given to it in section 21(1) of this Act;\n“criminal legal assistance” means criminal legal aid and advice and assistance in relation to criminal matters;\n“ document ” includes information recorded in any form;\n“firm” includes an incorporated practice, a licensed legal services provider, a sole solicitor and a law centre;\n“the Fund” has the meaning given to it in section 4(1) of this Act;\n“incorporated practice” has the same meaning as in the Solicitors’ (Scotland) Act 1980;\n“law centre” means a body—\n(a)established for the purpose of providing legal services to the public generally as well as to individual members of the public; and\n(b)which does not distribute any profits made either to its members or otherwise, but reinvests any such profits for the purposes of the law centre;\n“the Law Society” means the Law Society of Scotland;\n“legal aid” means civil legal aid, criminal legal aid, children's legal aid or legal aid given in connection with proceedings for contempt of court ...;\n“licensed legal services provider” and “solicitor investor” are to be construed in accordance with Part 2 of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010;\n“person”\n(a) does not include a body corporate or unincorporate, except where such body is acting in a representative, fiduciary or official capacity, so as to authorise legal aid or adive and assistance to be provided to such a body ; and\n(b)includes a person under the age of sixteen years.\n“the Register” means the Register established and maintained under section 25A of this Act;\n“the register of advice organisations” means the register established and maintained under section 12A of this Act;\n“ registered firm ” means a firm whose name appears on the Register;\n“registered organisation” means an organisation whose name appears on the register of advice organisations;\n“ registered solicitor ” means a solicitor whose name appears on the Register;\n“ sole solicitor ” means a solicitor practising under his own name or as a single solicitor under a firm name; and\n“solicitor connected with a firm” includes a sole solicitor , a solicitor investor in a firm and a solicitor who is a partner, director or employee of a firm, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 41: definition of “the 2011 Act” inserted (31.1.2012) by Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1), s. 206(2), sch. 5 para. 1(8)(a) (with s. 186); S.S.I. 2012/1, art. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 41 inserted (8.11.2021) by The Children’s Legal Assistance (Miscellaneous Amendments and Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (S.S.I. 2021/368), regs. 1(1), 2(3)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 41: definitions of “adviser” and “adviser code” inserted (30.7.2007) by Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 5), ss. 67(8)(a), 82(2) (with s. 77); S.S.I. 2007/335, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 41: definitions “children's legal aid” and “children's legal assistance” inserted (31.1.2012) by Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1), s. 206(2), sch. 5 para. 1(8)(b) (with s. 186); S.S.I. 2012/1, art. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 41 inserted (8.11.2021) by The Children’s Legal Assistance (Miscellaneous Amendments and Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (S.S.I. 2021/368), regs. 1(1), 2(3)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Definition in s. 41 inserted (1.10.1997) by 1997 c. 48, s. 62(1), Sch. 1 para. 12(10)(a); S.I. 1997/2323, art. 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Definitions in s. 41 inserted (1.10.1997) by 1997 c. 48, s. 62(1), Sch. 1 para. 12(10)(b); S.I. 1997/2323, art. 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 41: words in definition “firm” inserted (2.7.2012) by The Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (Ancillary Provision) Regulations 2012 (S.S.I. 2012/212), regs. 1, 3(3)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Definition in s. 41 inserted (1.10.1997) by 1997 c. 48, s. 62(1), Sch. 1 para. 12(10)(c); S.I. 1997/2323, art. 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 41: words in definition “legal aid” inserted (24.6.2013) by Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1), s. 206(2), sch. 5 para. 1(8)(c)(i) (with s. 186); S.S.I. 2013/195, arts. 2, 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 41: words in definition “legal aid” repealed (24.6.2013) by Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1), s. 206(2), sch. 5 para. 1(8)(c)(ii) (with s. 186); S.S.I. 2013/195, arts. 2, 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "S. 41: definition “licensed legal services provider” and “solicitor investor” inserted (2.7.2012) by The Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (Ancillary Provision) Regulations 2012 (S.S.I. 2012/212), regs. 1, 3(3)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "S. 41: in the definition of \"person\" the existing words become para. (a) (1.11.1995) by virtue of 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 40(b) (with s. 103(1)); S.I. 1995/2787, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "S. 41: in the definition of \"person\", para. (b) and preceding word added (1.11.1995) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 40(b) (with s. 103(1)); S.I. 1995/2787, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Definitions in s. 41 inserted (1.10.1997) by 1997 c. 48, s. 62(1), Sch. 1 para. 12(10)(d); S.I. 1997/2323, art. 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "S. 41: definition of “the register of advice organisations” inserted (30.7.2007) by Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 5), ss. 67(8)(b), 82(2) (with s. 77); S.S.I. 2007/335, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "S. 41: definition of “registered organisation” inserted (30.7.2007) by Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 5), ss. 67(8)(c), 82(2) (with s. 77); S.S.I. 2007/335, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "S. 41: words in definition “solicitor connected with a firm” inserted (2.7.2012) by The Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (Ancillary Provision) Regulations 2012 (S.S.I. 2012/212), regs. 1, 3(3)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1980 c. 46."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/47/section/41",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:54:56.156299+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}