Bye-Laws of the Law Society CONTENTS INTERPRETATION ........................................................................................................ 7 Interpretation ......................................................................................................... 7 MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATE STATUS ..................................................................... 9 Election to membership ......................................................................................... 9 Subscriptions ......................................................................................................... 9 Register of members ............................................................................................. 9 Associate members ............................................................................................. 10 Change of address .............................................................................................. 10 Register to be conclusive ..................................................................................... 10 Suspension of membership ................................................................................. 10 Suspension of privileges ...................................................................................... 10 Automatic termination of membership .................................................................. 10 Expulsion from membership ................................................................................ 11 Honorary membership of the Council ................................................................... 11 Honorary membership of the Society ................................................................... 11 Affiliate status ...................................................................................................... 12 Replacement of affiliate status ............................................................................. 12 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS ................................................................................. 12 Date of annual general meeting ........................................................................... 12 Preliminary notice of annual general meeting ...................................................... 12 Notices of motion ................................................................................................. 12 Notice of the annual general meeting ................................................................... 13 Business of the annual general meeting .............................................................. 13 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS ................................................................................ 14 Special general meeting convened by the Council ............................................... 14 Special general meeting requisitioned by members ............................................. 14 Notice of special general meeting ........................................................................ 14 Limitation of business at special general meeting ................................................ 14 Order of business at special general meeting ...................................................... 15 PROCEDURES FOR ALL GENERAL MEETINGS ...................................................... 15 Venue .................................................................................................................. 15 Quorum ............................................................................................................... 15 Restrictions as to matters previously discussed ................................................... 15 Chairing ............................................................................................................... 15 Page 3 of 53 17/03/2015 © The Law Society 2015 Moving of motions ................................................................................................ 16 Rules of debate ................................................................................................... 16 Adjournment ........................................................................................................ 17 Voting .................................................................................................................. 17 Membership ballots .............................................................................................. 17 Procedure for a membership ballot ...................................................................... 18 Adoption of resolutions ........................................................................................ 19 Chair's decision final ............................................................................................ 19 Irregularities ......................................................................................................... 19 Minutes ................................................................................................................ 19 ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT ............................................................................................. 20 Accounts .............................................................................................................. 20 Auditors ............................................................................................................... 20 Audit of accounts ................................................................................................. 20 Presentation of accounts to annual general meeting ............................................ 20 THE COUNCIL ............................................................................................................. 20 Composition ......................................................................................................... 20 Geographical constituencies ................................................................................ 20 Non-geographical constituencies ......................................................................... 21 Election date ........................................................................................................ 21 Preliminary notice of election ............................................................................... 21 Nomination of candidates .................................................................................... 21 Eligibility of candidates......................................................................................... 21 Eligibility for re-election ........................................................................................ 21 Eligibility to nominate and vote............................................................................. 21 Disqualification for election .................................................................................. 22 Nomination form .................................................................................................. 22 Declaration of criminal convictions ....................................................................... 23 Declaration of adverse Tribunal findings .............................................................. 23 Declaration of practising certificate conditions ..................................................... 24 Declaration or criminal and other proceedings ..................................................... 24 Declaration of regulatory proceedings .................................................................. 24 Declaration of investigations ................................................................................ 24 Nomination committees ....................................................................................... 25 Unopposed elections ........................................................................................... 25 Ballot in contested elections ................................................................................ 25 Electronic voting on an optional basis .................................................................. 26 Introduction of electronic voting as sole method of voting in an election .............. 26 Page 4 of 53 17/03/2015 © The Law Society 2015 Accidental omissions ........................................................................................... 26 Completion of voting papers ................................................................................ 27 Return of voting papers........................................................................................ 27 Single transferable voting .................................................................................... 27 Duplicate voting papers ....................................................................................... 27 Scrutiny of votes .................................................................................................. 27 Ballot Scrutineer's report ...................................................................................... 28 Challenge to election ........................................................................................... 28 Challenge committee ........................................................................................... 28 Challenge committee powers ............................................................................... 29 Election of non-geographical Council members ................................................... 30 Complaint about nomination procedure in organisational seats ..........................