s.16Articled clerks
16
Section 16Part —

Articled clerks

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An attorney-at-law who has been in continuous practice as a legal practitioner in any court in the Commonwealth for a period of at least five years (at least two of which have been in the Islands) may take any person into their service as an articled clerk.
An attorney-at-law shall not take into their service as an articled clerk any person who does not possess the minimum qualifications prescribed under section 20 for admission to service under articles.
An attorney-at-law shall not, without the approval of the Attorney General, have in their service more than two articled clerks at the same time: Provided that the Attorney General and, with the special leave of the Attorney General, the Clerk of Court and the Director of Public Prosecutions may have, in their respective service, up to four articled clerks at the same time.
A person shall not take or retain in their service any other person as an articled clerk after such first mentioned person has ceased to practise as an attorney-at-law.
If any person takes or has in their service any articled clerk in contravention of subsections (1) to (4), the Attorney General may, of their own motion, discharge the articles of that clerk upon such terms including terms as to the return of any premium, as the Attorney General thinks fit.
Any other provision of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, the Attorney General may, where in the Attorney General’s opinion any person in the legal or judicial departments of the public service is performing duties which are mainly legal in nature, certify that the period spent in performing such duties shall, for the purposes of this Act, be equivalent in all respects to a similar period spent in the service of an attorney-at-law under articles and such certificate shall take effect according to its tenor.

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