Solicitors Act, 1954

Application for practising certificate.

47.—(1) A solicitor applying for a practising certificate shall, in person or by his agent, deliver to the registrar a declaration which—

(a) shall be in the form set out in the Third Schedule to this Act or in a form to the like effect approved of by the Society, and

(b) shall be completed and signed by the applicant personally.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the registrar, on the ground of illness or absence abroad of the applicant or on any other ground considered by the registrar sufficient, may, either unconditionally or subject to conditions, dispense with signature of a declaration under this section by the applicant personally and may accept a declaration in a form to the like effect which has been completed and signed by a partner of the applicant or by some other person approved of by the registrar.

(3) The registrar shall enter in a register (in this Act referred to as the register of practising solicitors) the following particulars contained in a declaration under this section, that is to say:

(a) the full name of the solicitor,

(b) his place or places of business, and

(c) the date of his admission.

(4) The register of practising solicitors shall be kept available for public inspection during office hours without payment.

(5) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the registrar, if satisfied that the name of an applicant under this section is on the roll, shall, within fourteen days after the delivery to him of the declaration, deliver to the applicant or his authorised agent on demand a practising certificate in the form set out in the Fourth Schedule to this Act or in a form to the like effect.

(6) Where the registrar wrongly refuses or neglects to issue a practising certificate, the applicant may apply to the Chief Justice for relief and the Chief Justice may make such order in the matter as he considers just.