Comparison View

Formal Consolidation |  2000 RevEd
Prohibition of solicitation in respect of claims
18.—(1)  No person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit instructions or authority to act on behalf of any other person in respect of the making or commencement of any claim or action for damages for the death of or bodily injury to any person arising out of the use of a motor vehicle or in respect of the negotiation, compromise or settlement of that claim or action.
(2)  No person, other than a public officer or an advocate and solicitor properly acting in the course of his profession, shall, directly or indirectly, for personal gain make or commence or cause to be made or commenced on behalf of any other person any claim or action for damages for the death of or bodily injury to any person arising out of the use of a motor vehicle or negotiate, settle or compromise that claim or action when made or commenced.
(3)  Notwithstanding the provisions of any other written law, a public officer or an advocate and solicitor, acting in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (2), shall not receive or accept any payment of money for so acting other than —
(a)such costs as are agreed between him and the Public Trustee;
(b)taxed costs, in default of such agreement with the Public Trustee; or
(c)such costs as the Public Trustee may determine to be the costs of the public officer or advocate and solicitor, if the public officer or advocate and solicitor fails to begin proceedings for taxation of costs within 3 months after the relevant date unless before that time the public officer or the advocate and solicitor has agreed with the Public Trustee on costs.
[28/2000]
(4)  Subsection (3) shall not apply to a public officer or an advocate and solicitor claiming costs in respect of a judgment or settlement for a sum not exceeding the relevant amount.
[28/2000]
(5)  For the purposes of subsection (3)(c), “relevant date” means —
(a)the date the Public Trustee accepts or the court approves the payment referred to in section 6, as the case may be; or
(b)the date the judgment of the court referred to in section 9(1) is given,
as the case may be.
[28/2000]
(6)  Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
(7)  Any agreement to pay any money other than the costs referred to in subsection (3)(a), (b) or (c) to any person for work done or to be done or services rendered or to be rendered in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (1) or (2) shall be void.
[28/2000]
(8)  Any money paid under subsection (7), shall be recoverable by action brought in a court by the person who has paid it.
(9)  Where it is shown that any money other than costs referred to in subsection (3)(a), (b) or (c) has been paid to any clerk employed by an advocate and solicitor for work done or to be done or services rendered or to be rendered in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (1) or (2), it shall be presumed in, and for the purposes of, any action against the advocate and solicitor that the money was received by the clerk on behalf of the advocate and solicitor and the money shall be recoverable from the advocate and solicitor.
[28/2000]
Informal Consolidation | Amended Act 22 of 2013
Prohibition of solicitation in respect of claims
18.—(1)  No person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit instructions or authority to act on behalf of any other person in respect of the making or commencement of any claim or action for damages for the death of or bodily injury to any person arising out of the use of a motor vehicle or in respect of the negotiation, compromise or settlement of that claim or action.
(2)  No person, other than a public officer or an advocate and solicitor properly acting in the course of his profession, shall, directly or indirectly, for personal gain make or commence or cause to be made or commenced on behalf of any other person any claim or action for damages for the death of or bodily injury to any person arising out of the use of a motor vehicle or negotiate, settle or compromise that claim or action when made or commenced.
(3)  Notwithstanding the provisions of any other written law, a public officer or an advocate and solicitor, acting in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (2), shall not receive or accept any payment of money for so acting other than —
(a)such costs as are agreed between him and the Public Trustee;
(b)taxed costs, in default of such agreement with the Public Trustee; or
(c)such costs as the Public Trustee may determine to be the costs of the public officer or advocate and solicitor, if the public officer or advocate and solicitor fails to begin proceedings for taxation of costs within 3 months after the relevant date unless before that time the public officer or the advocate and solicitor has agreed with the Public Trustee on costs.
[28/2000]
(3A)  For the purpose of subsection (3)(a), an application to the Public Trustee by a public officer or an advocate and solicitor for an agreement on costs shall be made in such manner, and together with such documents and information, as the Public Trustee may require.
[Act 22 of 2013 wef 01/08/2014]
(4)  Subsection (3) shall not apply to a public officer or an advocate and solicitor claiming costs in respect of a judgment or settlement for a sum (excluding any amount payable in respect of costs and interest) not exceeding the relevant amount.
[28/2000]
[Act 22 of 2013 wef 01/08/2014]
(5)  For the purposes of subsection (3)(c), “relevant date” means —
(a)in relation to a settlement agreement referred to in section 6(1) —
(i)in the case where the quantum of the compensation payable under the settlement agreement requires the approval of the Public Trustee or the court under section 6(3)(a), the date of such approval; and
(ii)in any other case, the date of the settlement agreement; and
(b)in relation to a judgment referred to in section 9(1), the date the judgment is given.
[Act 22 of 2013 wef 01/08/2014]
(6)  Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
(7)  Any agreement to pay any money other than the costs referred to in subsection (3)(a), (b) or (c) to any person for work done or to be done or services rendered or to be rendered in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (1) or (2) shall be void.
[28/2000]
(8)  Any money paid under subsection (7), shall be recoverable by action brought in a court by the person who has paid it.
(9)  Where it is shown that any money other than costs referred to in subsection (3)(a), (b) or (c) has been paid to any clerk employed by an advocate and solicitor for work done or to be done or services rendered or to be rendered in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (1) or (2), it shall be presumed in, and for the purposes of, any action against the advocate and solicitor that the money was received by the clerk on behalf of the advocate and solicitor and the money shall be recoverable from the advocate and solicitor.
[28/2000]