{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-act-1974/section-10",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-act-1974/section-10.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1974/47",
  "legislation_title": "Solicitors Act 1974",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-act-1974",
  "path": "section/10",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "10",
  "heading": "Issue of practising certificates.",
  "text": "(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, where an application is made in accordance with section 9, the Society must issue a practising certificate to the applicant if it is satisfied that the applicant—\n(a) is not suspended from practice, and\n(b) is complying with any prescribed requirements imposed on the applicant.\n(2) A practising certificate issued to an applicant of a prescribed description must be issued subject to any conditions prescribed in relation to applicants of that description.\n(3) In such circumstances as may be prescribed, the Society must, if it considers it is in the public interest to do so—\n(a) refuse to issue a practising certificate under this section, or\n(b) where it decides to issue a practising certificate, issue it subject to one or more conditions.\n(4) The conditions which may be imposed include—\n(a) conditions requiring the person to whom the certificate is issued to take specified steps that will, in the opinion of the Society, be conducive to the carrying on by that person of an efficient practice as a solicitor ...;\n(b) conditions which prohibit that person from taking any specified steps, except with the approval of the Society.\n(5) In this section —\n“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations under section 28;\n“specified”, in relation to a condition imposed on a practising certificate, means specified in the condition.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 10 substituted (1.7.2009) by Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29), ss. 177, 211, Sch. 16 para. 9 (with ss. 29, 192, 193); S.I. 2009/1365, art. 2(a)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 10(4)(a) omitted (1.11.2015) by virtue of The Legal Services Act 2007 (The Law Society) (Modification of Functions) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/401), art. 1(3), Sch. 1 para. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 10 extended (with modifications) (1.7.2009) by S.I. 2009/1119, Sch. 4 para. 7(1) Table (as substituted by The Legal Services Act 2007 (Registered European Lawyers) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1587), art. 3(7)(a))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/47/section/10",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:43:05.522324+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."
}