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Private Practitioner Scheme for the Circuit Court
Terms and Conditions
Introduction
1. The Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995 (“the Act”) provides that the Legal Aid Board (“the Board”) may establish and maintain a panel of solicitors who are willing to provide legal aid and advice to persons who are in receipt of legal services. The Board has now decided to establish and maintain a panel of solicitors who are willing to provide services to persons who have been granted a legal aid certificate by the Board for certain family law matters in the Circuit Court, to be known as the Private Practitioner Circuit Court Panel (“the Panel”).
Panel of Solicitors
2. Any solicitor/firm wishing to be considered, in accordance with the provisions of these terms and conditions, to have his, her or their name placed on the Panel must apply in writing to the Board. The Board will select from among the applicants, those that, in the opinion of the Board, are best suited to be engaged by the Board to provide legal services on its behalf. In the event that the solicitor/firm is accepted on the Panel, the solicitor/firm must give an undertaking, in the form at appendix 1, to comply with these terms and conditions and the provisions of the Act when providing legal aid and/or advice.
3. Any solicitor/firm wishing to apply to be placed on the Panel must hold a current practising certificate from the Law Society of Ireland and must have professional indemnity insurance which is adequate for the purposes of the Scheme. The current figure is €2 million in any one case, but this may be revised from time to time by the Board.
4. Solicitors/Firms on the Panel must comply with the tax clearance procedures specified in the Department of Finance Circular 22/95 entitled ‘Tax clearance Procedures-Public Sector Contracts’ or any such circular amending or replacing that circular.
5. The Panel shall be in place for a period of three years from the 1st October 2006 or such other date or period as the Board may determine. The Board will consider applications to be included on the Panel at such times as the Board, from time to time, may determine.
6. Solicitors/firms on the Panel must have access to e-mail facilities and must have IT software that is compatible with Microsoft Office software in order to ensure the effective and efficient administration of the Scheme.
Terms and Conditions continued
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