Section 39A Powers where excessive fees etc charged.F1C1

This section applies where the Council are satisfied, in the case of any solicitor or F2incorporated practice authorised legal business, after inquiry and after giving the solicitor or incorporated practice authorised legal business an opportunity of being heard, that the solicitor or incorporated practice authorised legal business has issued an account for professional fees and outlays of an amount which is grossly excessive (whether or not the account has been paid by or on behalf of the client or debited by the solicitor or incorporated practice authorised legal business to the account of any sums held on behalf of the client).

Where this section applies the Council may—

and a certificate so withdrawn shall cease to have effect and the solicitor shall be suspended from practice as a solicitor.

On being satisfied by the solicitor or, as the case may be, F5incorporated practice authorised legal business that he or it has complied with the requirements of subsection (4) the Council, unless they are of the opinion that the solicitor or incorporated practice is liable to disciplinary proceedings under Part IV, shall terminate the suspension from practice of the solicitor or solicitors concerned and shall restore to him or them any practising certificates held by him or them for the practice year then current.

The requirements referred to in subsection (3) are—

The Council shall be entitled to be represented at a diet for taxation by virtue of subsection (4)(a) and to make representations to the Auditor of Court.

Where, on taxation of an account by virtue of subsection (4)(a), the amount due in respect of the account as taxed is the amount specified in the account as issued, the fee of the Auditor of Court shall be paid by the Council; but in any other case the fee shall be paid by the solicitor or, as the case may be, the F7incorporated practice authorised legal business.

In subsection (4)(b) “the relevant amount” is the amount (if any) by which the sum received by the solicitor or F8incorporated practice authorised legal business in respect of the account exceeds the amount due in respect of the account as taxed.

A solicitor may, within 21 days of receiving written notice of a decision of the Council under subsection (2) to withdraw his practising certificate, appeal to the Court against that decision; and on any such appeal the Court may give such directions in the matter, including directions as to the expenses of the proceedings before the Court, as it may think fit; and the order of the Court shall be final.

The withdrawal of a solicitor’s practising certificate under subsection (2) shall be without prejudice to the operation of section 35(3) or section 37(8).

The Council shall notify the Commission of any case—