Standing Orders

  1. Membership

    1. Individual membership is open (subject to approval by the Committee) to any Solicitor of less than 10 years post qualification experience, Barrister of less than 12 years' call, member or student member of the Institute of Legal Executives of up to 10 years admission, or paralegal for up to 10 years from their first employment as such, at the commencement of the membership year. Membership is also open to all Trainee solicitors, pupil barristers and legal academic staff.

      All Members of the Assocition are entitled:

      1. to receive all mailings to members;
      2. to attend and (where applicable) vote at any meeting (subject to any charge levied and availability of places);
      3. to attend training days and social events organised by the Association (subject to any charge levied and availability of places).

    2. The Committee shall in its discretion determine each year the appropriate fees for membership prior to the renewal by members of their annual subscription and notify the members of the Association accordingly.

    3. Upon approval of an application for membership by the Committee, notice shall be given to the individual concerned which shall be supplied with a copy of the Association's Constitution. The individual concerned shall become a member of the Association and shall be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of membership and shall be bound by the Association's Constitution.

    4. The Membership Secretary shall ensure that an up-to-date list of all members is kept.

    5. Every member must pay the annual subscription laid down by the Committee of the Association. The annual subscription is due on such date as the Committee shall from time to time determine, PROVIDED THAT such date shall be during the month of October each year.

    6. The Association's membership year shall run from such date in October of each year as the Committee shall determine.

    7. Any member may resign membership by giving written notice to the Membership Secretary.

    8. No member, on ceasing to be a member, shall be entitled to be repaid any subscription previously paid or any part of any such subscription.

    9. All applications for membership shall be dealt with by the Membership Secretary. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member PROVIDED THAT the individual concerned (or an individual representing the organisation concerned, as the case may be) shall have the right to be heard before a decision is taken.

    10. The Committee has the power to:

      1. reject an application for membership or to suspend a member or member's representative provided that it is for good and sufficient reason;
      2. To waive or reduce membership fees in case of hardship;

  2. Meetings

    1. No person other than the members of the Association shall be entitled to vote at any AGM, EGM or any other meeting of the Association.

    2. Every notice of a meeting shall specify the place, day and hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. The notice convening an AGM shall specify the meeting as such.

    3. The accidental omission to give notice of any meeting to, or the non-receipt of the notice by any person, shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.

    4. A meeting shall, despite being called at shorter notice than that specified in Clause 6 of the Association's Constitution, be deemed to have been duly called if it is so agreed by a simple majority of those present and voting at the meeting.

    5. The length of notice shall be calculated exclusive of the day on which it is served and day for which it is given.

    6. No business shall be transacted at an AGM or EGM unless the quorum specified in paragraph 6 of the Constitution be present in person at the time when the meeting opens. If, within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if called on the request of members, shall be dissolved, and in any other case shall stand adjourned to a day to be determined by the Committee. If, at the adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present, the members present shall form a quorum.

    7. The Chairman of the Association (or in his/her absence, any other member of the Committee) shall preside at any AGM or EGM.

    8. At any meeting of the Association, matters put to a vote will be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is demanded by at least 15 members or by the Chairman. If a poll is requested it should be taken in such manner and at such time as the Chairman of the meeting decides.

    9. In the case of a draw, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote except on a vote to confirm the appointment of the Chairman, in which case lots shall be drawn.

    10. No motion or amendment to the Association's Constitution or its Standing Orders or Rules shall be discussed at an meeting unless it was moved and seconded by persons present at the meeting.

    11. The day-to-day affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Committee to be elected in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and these Standing Orders. If a Committee member ceases to be the representative for a member of the Association they shall automatically cease to be a member of the Committee.

    12. The Agenda for any Committee meeting shall be prepared by the Chairman. Business shall be dealt with in the order that it appears on the Agenda, save that the Chairman of the meeting may, with its consent, give precedence to such business as is deemed urgent. Committee members wishing to raise new business must notify the Chairman so that it may appear on the Agenda. The Chairman may however, at his or her discretion, permit new business to be proposed without prior notice under "Any Other Business" or may defer such item to the next meeting.

    13. Three or more Officers of the Committee may summon a special meeting of the Committee for the purpose of dealing with any matter requiring urgent attention.

    14. The Committee may continue to act although their number is reduced below 5. The continuing members shall only act for the purpose of filling vacancies and convening an EGM (or AGM as the case may be).

    15. The Chairman of the Association shall preside at all meetings of the Committee unless a simple majority of Committee members resolve otherwise, or unless the Chairman is unable to attend, in which case an other member of the Committee shall preside.

    16. Voting at Committee meetings shall be by a show of hands unless a poll is requested by at least three Committee members or by the Chairman. All questions shall be decided by a simple majority.

    17. No business shall be transacted at a Committee meeting unless the quorum of 5 Committee members is present in person at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. If within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting should be adjourned to a date to be determined by the Chairman.

  3. Nominations and Elections

    1. No later than 1 August in any given year, the Committee shall appoint a Returning Officer who shall be an outgoing member of the Committee or a former member of the Committee.

    2. The Returning Officer may after consultation with the Chairman delegate to another Committee member or with the Committee's approval, another person any of the tasks set out in the Standing Orders.

    3. Members of the Committee shall determine individually whether they are to continue upon the committee in the following year.

    4. Nominations for membership of the Committee shall be made by Association members wishing to nominate themselves in writing. Such nominations must be provided to the Returning Officer three weeks before the AGM or such other shorter time as the Returning Officer shall determine and communicate to the Association's members.

    5. The Returning Officer shall inform the Committee of those who have nominated themselves for membership. The Committee may vary the number of its non portfolio members for the following membership year upon its current members having decided whether to continue and the Returning Officer confirming the new nominees.

    6. In the event of there being only the number of nominations necessary to fill prospective vacancies, then those nominated will automatically be elected as members of the Committee without a vote.

    7. In the event of the number of nominations exceeding vacancies upon the Committee as established for the following membership year, an election shall be held in such manner, by the Committee or a general meeting, and by such method of counting as the Committee may determine.

    8. The default method of election is that Committee itself elects its new members by secret ballot, each elector having a number of votes equal to the number of vacancies (to be applied to different candidates), and those candidates with the highest number of votes being elected.

    9. The Returning Officer (unless the Committee otherwise directs) shall request each nominated candidate to submit a short document setting out their reasons for joining the Committee, to be provided at an established date prior to the election.

    10. The prospective committee shall be announced by the Committee to the AGM.

    11. If the election was by the Committee, the AGM may choose to re-open one or more nominations, and if so doing may also require one or more current Committee members' posts to be re-nominated. If the AGM imposes a fresh election it shall be conducted within one month. The AGM may appoint a new returning officer who shall conduct the election in such manner (under standing order C7) as they may decide within any stipulation established by the AGM. If the prospective Committee (that is, those who were elected and not then rejected by the AGM) comprises fewer than 6 people then the current Committee and its Officers shall remain in office until the new election is concluded.

  4. Accounts

    1. The Treasurer of the Association shall keep true accounts of all sums of monies received and expended by the Association and of the matters in respect of which such receipts and such expenditure take place, and of the properties, credit and liabilities of the Association.

    2. The Treasurer shall cause the accounts to be made up once each year and submit them to the auditor appointed by the Committee together with such other information required by them. A copy of the audited accounts shall be made available to any member of the Association upon that member's request. The audited accounts shall be submitted to the membership at the AGM.

    3. The books of account should be kept by the Treasurer and should be available for inspection by members by prior notice of at least 28 days to the Treasurer, and at a time and place convenient to the Treasurer.

    4. Any cheque drawn upon an account held by the Association made payable to a signatory in person or to his/her firm shall be signed by one other of the authorised signatories.

  5. Notices

    1. Any notice may be served on a member of the Association by the Committee by sending it via the post, DX fax or by email.

    2. Any notice served by post or DX shall be deemed to have been received within 2 days following that on which it was sent. Any notice served by fax or email shall be deemed received 2 hours after sending.

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