Page:Public Defenders Act 2022.pdf/18

18 Chief Public Defender, public defender or assigned solicitor to act for aided accused person, etc.

13.—(1) Where a Grant of Aid is issued in connection with any proceedings—
 * (a) the Chief Public Defender or a public defender is to act for the aided accused person; or
 * (b) the Chief Public Defender may assign a solicitor from an appropriate panel of solicitors established under section 4 to act for the aided accused person.

(2) Any reference to an advocate representing an accused person, or an advocate representing an appellant, a respondent, an applicant or a party (where the appellant, respondent, applicant or party is the accused), or words of the same meaning however expressed, in—
 * (a) the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 or any rules made under that Code; or
 * (b) any other written law applicable to any proceedings to which a Grant of Aid relates,

is to be construed as including a reference to the Chief Public Defender or a public defender acting for an aided accused person under a Grant of Aid.

(3) Before taking any other step in the proceedings, the Chief Public Defender, the public defender or the assigned solicitor (as the case may be) must notify the court before which the proceedings are conducted of the Grant of Aid issued to the aided accused person.

(4) In addition, the court before which the proceedings are conducted must also be notified if—
 * (a) a solicitor is subsequently assigned to act for the aided accused person after the court has been notified of the issue of a Grant of Aid; or
 * (b) a different solicitor is assigned to act for the aided accused person in place of a solicitor previously assigned.