Regulatory Alerts2016-01-29
Legal Profession (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2016
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands enacted this Act to amend the Legal Profession Act, 2015 by validating practising certificates for specified periods, empowering the Council to issue Cabinet-approved guidelines on legal documents, and subjecting regulations to a negative House resolution. The inserted transitional provisions automatically extend practising certificates for existing barristers, solicitors, and attorneys until January 2017 or the issuance of targeted regulations, while establishing $1,000 and $1,500 fee tiers for residents and non-residents respectively. These measures maintain continuous legal practice and regulatory oversight during the statutory transition, deferring specific operational sections until their corresponding regulations and guidelines are formally promulgated.