Clause 3

by deleting subsection (2) and substituting the following subsections:“(2) Any solicitor shall be entitled to have his name on the panels or any of them unless there is good reason for excluding or removing him on any of the grounds under subsection (2A).(2A) The Director may, at any time, exclude or remove any solicitor from any panel —

if the solicitor has ceased to be a practising solicitor for any reason;

if the solicitor has requested that the Director remove him from the panel;

if the solicitor has shown from his conduct when assigned to act for persons receiving legal aid or from his professional conduct generally that he is not a suitable person to remain on the panel; or

if, in the opinion of the Director —

the solicitor is not a suitable person to be or remain on the panel for any other reason; or

it is necessary or expedient to exclude or remove the solicitor’s name from the panel for any other reason.”;

by inserting, immediately after the word “excluding” in subsection (3), the words “or removing”; and

by deleting subsection (4) and substituting the following subsection:“(4) A solicitor shall have the duty to disclose to the Director any information or give any opinion which may enable the Director to perform his functions under this Act, including such information or opinion which may reasonably be taken into account by the Director or the board referred to in section 8 in determining whether to refuse or cancel legal aid to a person or an aided person, and the solicitor shall not be precluded from so doing by reason of any privilege arising out of the relationship between solicitor and client.”.