Legal Aid Act 1977

The commission may establish panels of private legal practitioners to provide legal assistance in accordance with the commission’s function under section 8 (2).

A panel may be established for matters generally, or particular kinds of matter, or matters before particular courts or tribunals, for which legal assistance may be granted under this Act.

A practitioner who wishes to be included in a panel established under this section must apply to the commission in a way approved by the commission.

The commission may—

appoint practitioners to a panel in accordance with the criteria determined under subsection (5); and

suspend, remove or exclude practitioners from a panel on the grounds determined under subsection (7) (b); and

impose conditions on the reappointment of a practitioner who has been suspended, removed or excluded, which in the opinion of the commission are:

appropriate under the circumstances; and

in keeping with the requirements determined under subsection (7) (c).

The commission may determine criteria for the appointment of practitioners to a panel.

Without limiting subsection (5), the criteria may include criteria about any of the following matters:

a practitioner’s skills, qualifications and experience;

a practitioner’s agreement to comply with the requirements stated by the commission in relation to any of the following:

practice standards;

reporting and accountability;

compliance audits.

The commission may determine the following:

the period for which practitioners are appointed to a panel;

the grounds on which a practitioner may be suspended, removed or excluded from a panel;

the requirements, if any, for reappointment of a practitioner to a panel.

A determination by the commission under this section is a notifiable instrument.