# Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980, Section 31: Offence for unqualified persons to pretend to be solicitor or notary public.

Extent: S

(1) Any . . . person (including a body corporate) who , not having the relevant qualification,either by himself or together with others, wilfully and falsely—
(a) pretends to be a solicitor or notary public; or
(aa) pretends to be a registered European lawyer; or
(ab) pretends to be a registered foreign lawyer; or
(b) takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is duly qualified to act as a solicitor or a notary public , registered European lawyer or registered foreign lawyer, as the case may be, or recognised by law as so qualified;
shall be guilty of an offence.
...
(2) Any person (including a body corporate) who either by himself or together with others, wilfully and falsely—
(a) pretends to be an incorporated practice;
(b) takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is an incorporated practice,
shall be guilty of an offence.
(2A) This section does not apply to an incorporated practice.
(2B) This section does not apply in relation to the taking or using by a licensed legal services provider of a name, title, addition or description if the licensed provider has the Society's written authority for using it.
(2C) For the purpose of subsection (2B), the Council are to make rules which—
(a) set the procedure for getting the Society's authority (and specify the conditions that the Society may impose if it gives that authority),
(b) specify the grounds on which the Society may refuse to give that authority (and require the Society to give reasons in writing if it refuses to give that authority).
(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/46/section/31 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/solicitors-scotland-act-1980/section-31
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.