46.— (1) The Solicitors (Amendment) Act 2002 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 19:

“Power of Society to investigate alleged misconduct by apprentice.

19A.— (1) For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that the Society have a power to investigate alleged misconduct by an apprentice.

(2) The power of the Society referred to in subsection (1) of this section may be exercised whether or not the Society receive a complaint in relation to the apprentice.

(3) If subsection (1) of this section would, but for this subsection, conflict with a constitutional right of any person, the operation of that subsection shall be subject to such limitation as is necessary to secure that it does not so conflict but shall otherwise be of full force and effect.

(4) In this section ‘misconduct’ has the same meaning as it has in section 19 of this Act.”.

(2) This section shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 January 2003.