Moved by
Lord Etherton
51: After Clause 45, insert the following new Clause—
“Pro Bono Representation: Tribunals
Payments in respect of pro bono representation: tribunals
(1) Section 194 of the Legal Services Act 2007 (payments in respect of pro bono representation) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (1) after “civil court” insert “or tribunal”.
(3) In subsection (3)—
(a) after “the court” insert “or tribunal”; and
(b) after “in respect of that part)” insert “, but so that no award made under this subsection may exceed the amount that the court or tribunal could order to be paid in respect of R’s representation of P, had such representation not been provided free of charge in whole or in part”.
(4) In subsection (4) after “the court” insert “or tribunal”.
(5) In subsection (5) after “the court” insert “or tribunal”.
(6) In subsection (7)—
(a) after “Rules of court” insert “and tribunal rules of procedure”;
(b) omit the word “civil”; and
(c) after “the court” insert “or tribunal”.
(7) In subsection (10)—
(a) in the definition of “legal representative” for “exercising a right of audience or conducting litigation on the party's behalf” substitute “, who has a right of audience or has the right to conduct litigation in relation to any class of proceedings in any part of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, or all proceedings in county courts or magistrates’ courts, whether or not the person is exercising such right in the particular proceedings”;
(b) in the definition of “relevant civil appeal”, after paragraph (a) insert—
“(aa) from the Upper Tribunal in accordance with permission granted under section 14B(3) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (appeal to Supreme Court),”; and
(c) after the definition of “relevant civil appeal” insert—
““tribunal” means—
(a) the First-tier Tribunal;
(b) the Upper Tribunal;
(c) an employment tribunal;
(d) the Employment Appeal Tribunal;
(e) the Competition Appeal Tribunal; and
(f) any other body, established under or recognised by any enactment, which performs the function of determining matters, which are not criminal in nature, including but not limited to regulatory and disciplinary issues, and which has the power to make an order for the payment of costs.””
Member’s explanatory statement
These new provisions will confer on tribunals the same power as civil courts and the Supreme Court currently have to order an unsuccessful legally represented party to pay pro bono costs to the prescribed charity the Access to Justice Foundation where the successful party has been represented pro bono.