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Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

1981/228 · Made 18 February 1981 · Extends to Northern Ireland

Not fully up to date. 16 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 17 October 2022.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
art. 3(1)(b)words repealedWelfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 Sch. 4 Pt. 1
art. 14(5)words repealedWelfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 Sch. 4 Pt. 1
art. 7(2)words repealedWelfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 Sch. 4 Pt. 1
art. 36(4)-(6)substituted for art. 36(4)Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 s. 80(4)
Orderpower to amend conferredJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 Sch. 5 para. 5(a)
art. 28(7)words insertedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 s. 83(2)(b)
art. 28(7)(c)insertedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 s. 83(2)(a)
art. 31substitutedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 s. 80(2)
art. 33(1)words substitutedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 s. 80(3)
art. 29(2)(b)applied (with modifications) by S.I. 1981/228 (N.I. 8), art. 29(2A) as insertedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 Sch. 2 para. 3
art. 29(2)(a)appliedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 s. 10(2)(c)
art. 29(2A)insertedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 Sch. 2 para. 3
art. 29(2)(a)appliedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 s. 11(2)(b)
art. 29(2)(a)appliedJustice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 s. 12(3)(b)(ii)
art. 29(2A)words substituted in earlier affecting provision 2015 c. 9 (N.I.), Sch. 2 para. 3Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 s. 4(9)(c)
Actrev.in pt.Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 s.79, Sch.4, paras.19(2),36

18th February 1981 F1F2C2C3

Annotations to the whole text

Textual amendments

F1

Order repealed (1.11.2003 for the repeals of arts.18(1)-(7), 19, 20.3.2006 the repeal of art. 23, 1.4.2015 for the repeal of Pt. 2 to the extent that it remains in operation, otherwise prosp.) by Access to Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/435), arts. 1(2), 49(5), Sch. 5 (with transitional provisions and savings in art. 48, Sch. 3); S.R. 2003/344, art. 4, Sch. 2; S.R. 2006/27, art. 3; S.R. 2015/194, art. 2, Sch. (with transitional provisions and savings in art. 3)

F2

functions transferred by SI 1982/159

Modifications

C1

Order: power to amend conferred (1.9.2012) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (c. 24), ss. 90(2)(b), 111(3); S.R. 2012/214, art. 4

C2

Order applied (with modifications) (30.4.2007) by Legal Aid (Asylum and Immigration Appeals) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1318), reg. 7(5)

C3

Order: functions of Lord Chancellor transferred to Department of Justice (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 15(1), Sch. 17 para. 36 (with arts. 15(6), 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)

Contents

  1. Part I: INTRODUCTORY
  2. 1Title and commencement
  3. 2Interpretation
  4. Part II: LEGAL ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE, AND LEGAL AID OTHER THAN FREE LEGAL AID AVAILABLE UNDER PART III
  5. Chapter: Legal advice and assistance
  6. 3Persons eligible for advice and assistance
  7. 4Scope and general conditions of advice and assistance
  8. 5Representation in proceedings
  9. 6Financial limit on prospective cost of advice and assistance
  10. 7Contributions from persons receiving advice or assistance
  11. 8Payment of charges or fees otherwise than through client's contribution
  12. Chapter: Legal aid
  13. 9Persons eligible for legal aid
  14. 10Scope and general conditions of legal aid
  15. 10AExceptional legal aid
  16. 11Financial conditions of legal aid
  17. 12Contributions from persons receiving legal aid and charge on property recovered
  18. 13Remuneration of persons giving legal aid
  19. Chapter: Assessment of resources etc.
  20. 14Assessment of disposable capital and income and of maximum contribution
  21. Chapter: Solicitors and counsel
  22. 15Solicitors and counsel
  23. 15ALegal aid not to affect normal rules
  24. Chapter: Costs of successful unassisted parties
  25. 16Power to award costs out of the legal aid fund
  26. 17Provisions supplementary to Article 16
  27. Administration and finance
  28. 18Functions of Law Society
  29. 20Accounts and audit
  30. 21Pension rights of employees
  31. Chapter: Miscellaneous and supplementary
  32. 22Regulations
  33. 23Advisory committees Repealed
  34. 24Secrecy
  35. 25Proceedings for misrepresentation etc.
  36. 26Adaptation for purposes of Part II of rights to indemnity
  37. 27Interpretation of Part II and Schedules 1 and 2
  38. Part III: FREE LEGAL AID IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
  39. 28Free legal aid in the magistrates' court
  40. 28AFree legal aid for diversionary youth conferences
  41. 29Free legal aid in the Crown Court
  42. 30Free legal aid on appeal to the county court
  43. 31Resolution of doubts under Articles 28 to 30
  44. 32Statements for purposes of free legal aid
  45. 33Report on means of applicant for free legal aid
  46. 33AOrder to recover costs of legal aid
  47. 34Free legal aid for children and young persons
  48. 35Further provisions as to issue of certificates
  49. 35ACourt-ordered youth conferences
  50. 36Expenses of free legal aid and making of rules
  51. 36AAssignment of solicitor and counsel
  52. 36BRegister of solicitors and counsel eligible to be assigned
  53. 37Remuneration of solicitors and counsel
  54. 38Adaptation for purposes of Part III of rights to indemnity
  55. 38ARestriction of disclosure of information
  56. 39Interpretation of Part III
  57. Part IV: MISCELLANEOUS
  58. 40Exemption from stamp duty
  59. 41Applications to Crown
  60. 42Amendments, repeals and revocations
  61. Schedule 1: PROCEEDINGS FOR WHICH LEGAL AID MAY BE GIVEN UNDER ARTICLE 9
  62. Part I: DESCRIPTION OF PROCEEDINGS
  63. 1Paragraph 1
  64. 2Paragraph 2
  65. 2AParagraph 2A
  66. 2BParagraph 2B
  67. 3Paragraph 3
  68. 4Paragraph 4
  69. Paragraph
  70. 6Paragraph 6
  71. 6AParagraph 6A
  72. 6BParagraph 6B
  73. 6CParagraph 6C
  74. 7Paragraph 7
  75. 8Paragraph 8
  76. Part II: EXCEPTED PROCEEDINGS
  77. 1Paragraph 1
  78. 2Paragraph 2
  79. 3Paragraph 3
  80. 4Paragraph 4
  81. 5Paragraph 5
  82. 6Paragraph 6
  83. 7Paragraph 7
  84. 8Paragraph 8 Repealed
  85. 9Paragraph 9 Repealed
  86. Schedule 2: REMUNERATION OF PERSONS GIVING LEGAL AID UNDER PART II OF THIS ORDER
  87. 1Paragraph 1
  88. 2Paragraph 2
  89. 3Paragraph 3
  90. 4Paragraph 4
  91. 5Paragraph 5
  92. 6Paragraph 6
  93. 7Paragraph 7
  94. Schedule Schedule
  95. Schedule Schedule