Section 4

The Director shall prepare and maintain panels of solicitors willing to investigate, report and give an opinion upon applications for the grant of legal aid, to act for persons receiving legal aid and to give legal advice under the provisions of this Act, and there may be separate panels for different purposes and for different courts.

Any solicitor shall be entitled to have his name on the panels or any of them unless there is good reason for excluding him arising out of his conduct when acting or assigned to act for persons receiving legal aid or his professional conduct generally.

Where a solicitor is aggrieved by any decision excluding him (whether permanently or temporarily) from the panels or any of them, he may appeal against the decision to a judge of the Supreme Court and the judge (whose decision shall be final) may confirm or quash the decision appealed against or may substitute such decision as he thinks fit.

Subject to section 20(2) any solicitor may at any time request the Director to remove his name from the panels or any of them and the Director shall comply with such request.

Subject to any regulations made under this Act, the Director shall pay to a solicitor investigating and reporting or giving an opinion upon applications for the grant of legal aid or acting for persons receiving legal aid or giving legal advice under the provisions of this Act such fees as may be agreed between the Director and the solicitor.