Legal > Legal aid for the poor

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
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assigned to assist such person as aforesaid such sum as the judge deems proper for the
following purposes :
{a) The payment of the fees and expenses of witnesses;
(6) The expenses of or incidental to the taking of evidence on commission.
(2) Any sum ordered to be paid by the sheriff under this section shall be paid by
him in the same manner as he now pays the expenses of witnesses for the prosecution in
criminal cases.
(3) Any sum so paid by the sheriff shall be a first charge on and repayable to the
sheriff in aid of the general revenue of the State out of any money (including costs) or
other real or personal property which is ordered to be paid to or is recovered by the
person suing in forma pauperis in the proceedings taken by him.
7. Appointment of a public solicitor.-—The Governor may appoint a practitioner
of the Supreme Court to be the public solicitor under this Act.
8. Functions of the public solicitor.—Upon the appointment of a person as public
solicitor the following provisions shall have effect :
(a) Every case for the opinion of counsel on the question whether a person
desirous of taking proceedings in forma pauperis in the Supreme Court in any juris¬
diction pursuant to any rules or rules of court in force in that behalf has reasonable
grounds for proceeding shall be laid before the public solicitor;
(b) Whenever a judge makes an order under any rules or rules of court permitting
a person to sue or defend as a pauper, the order shall direct that the case be assigned
to the public solicitor, and the public solicitor shall undertake the conduct of the
case;
(c) Whenever a judge makes an order for an accused person to be defended by
counsel pursuant to this Act, the order shall direct that the defence be undertaken
by the public solicitor, and the public solicitor shall undertake the conduct of the
defence;
(d) Every case under Section 13 of the Criminal Appeals Act 1924 shall be
assigned to the public solicitor.
9. Saving rule making power of judges.—Nothing in this Act shall affect the powers
of the judges or of any of them to make, alter, or revoke any rules of court relating to
proceedings in forma pauperis : provided that nothing in any rules of court so made,
altered, or revoked shall be inconsistent with any provision of this Act.