Legal Practitioners.
[CAP. 159
(2) Notwithstanding anything in the Magistrates Ordinance, (Cap. 227.) proceedings under this section may be commenced at any time before the expiration of six months after the first discovery of the offence by the prosecutor, but no such proceedings shall be commenced except by, or with the consent of, the Attorney General.
PART III.
REMUNERATION of SOLICITORS.
Non-contentious Business.
50. On any taxation of costs the taxing officer may, in determining the remuneration, if any, to be allowed to a solicitor for his services, have regard, subject to any general rules or orders, to the skill, labour and responsibility involved in the character of the costs.
51. (1) A solicitor and his client may, either before or after or in the course of the transaction of any non-contentious business by the solicitor, make an agreement as to the remuneration of the solicitor in respect thereof.
(2) The agreement may provide for the remuneration of the solicitor by a gross sum, or by commission or percentage or by salary, or otherwise, and it may be made on the terms that the amount of the remuneration therein stipulated for either shall or shall not include all or any disbursements made by the solicitor in respect of searches, plans, travelling, stamps, fees or other matters.
(3) The agreement shall be in writing and signed by the person to be bound thereby or his agent in that behalf.
(4) The agreement may be sued and recovered on or set aside in the like manner and on the like grounds as an agreement not relating to the remuneration of a solicitor:
Provided that if on any taxation of costs the agreement is relied on by the solicitor and objected to by the client as unfair or unreasonable, the taxing officer may inquire into the facts and certify them to the court and if on that certificate it appears just to the court that the agreement should be cancelled, or the amount payable thereunder reduced, the court may order the agreement to be cancelled, or the amount payable thereunder reduced.
239
22 and 23 Geo. 5 c. 37, s. 57.