reg 34 Legal assessors
(1) The Council shall appoint legal assessors. (2) Legal assessors shall have the general function of giving advice to— (a) Screeners; (b) the statutory committees; (c) the Registrar; or (d) the Council, on questions of law arising in connection with any matter which any of those persons is considering under article 9 or 10, Part V or Part VI. (3) They may at the request of the person mentioned in paragraph (2) assist in the drafting of any decision required by this Order to be issued under any of the provisions mentioned in that paragraph. (4) They shall have such other functions as may be conferred on them by rules made by the Council. (5) To be qualified for appointment as a legal assessor, a person must— (a) have a 10 year general qualification (within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990); or (b) be an advocate or solicitor in Scotland of at least 10 years' standing; or (c) be a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland of at least 10 years' standing. (6) No person shall be a legal assessor if he is— (a) a member of the Council; (b) a member of a statutory committee; (c) a Screener, visitor or medical or registrant assessor; or (d) employed by the Council. (7) The Council may make such provision in respect of legal assessors as it may determine— (a) for the payment of fees and allowances, including the payment of allowances to employers of legal assessors for the purposes of enabling legal assessors to perform functions under this article; (b) for the reimbursement of such expenses as the legal assessors may reasonably have incurred in the course of carrying out their functions under this Order.