THAMES VALLEY FAMILY LAWYERS SOCIETY
CONSTITUTION
1.The name of the Association shall be Thames Valley Family Lawyers Society
2.Aims
(1)To represent lawyers practising in the Reading and Slough Designated Family Centres (hereinafter called the Courts) in promoting good practice in all areas of Family Law
(2)To liase with the Designated Judge, District Judges and Court Officials on matters of mutual interest and concern
(3)To liase with outside bodies such as the Legal Aid Board, Conciliation Service, Local Authorities and others(4)To seek representation on appropriate bodies
(5)To establish maintain and promulgate a Code of Practice for those practising in the Courts
(6)To provide training and education for members in all areas of Family Law and in related professions and skills
(7)To provide opportunities and facilities for members to exchange views and ideas
(8)To undertake and organise such other activities, including social activities, as the Society may determine in order to further the foregoing aims and objectives
(9) To make donations for charitable or voluntary purposes in furtherance of the foregoing aims and objectives
3.Full Membership
(1) The Membership of the Society shall comprise:-
(a)The Founder members who adopted these rules at the General Meeting of the Society
(b)Any Solicitor practising in the Courts who is proposed and seconded by two members and approved by the Committee
(c)Any Barrister practising regularly in the Courts who is proposed and seconded by two members and approved by the Committee
(2)The Committee may decline to accept any application for membership
(3)The Secretary shall maintain a Register of Full Members
4.Associate Membership
(1)Associate Membership of the Society shall be open to:-
(a)Trainee Solicitors and Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives so long as they are employed by solicitors on family matters in the Courts
(b)Any law lecturer teaching Family Law at a College University or other institution whose degrees are recognised by the Law Society as conferring exemption from the Common Professional Examination
(c)Any person employed as a Justices Clerk
(d)The Chief Clerk of each of the Courts or officers nominated by them
(e) Such other persons as the Committee may approve in individual cases whose application for Associate Membership is proposed by a Member and Seconded by a Member or Associate Member and approved by the Committee
(2) Associate Members shall be entitled to such benefits and privileges of membership as the Committee shall from time to time determine
(3)The Committee may decline to accept any application for Associate Membership
(4)The Secretary shall maintain a Register of Associate Members
5.Honorary Members
(1)The Committee may nominate candidates for Honorary Membershipof the Society and such candidates shall be confirmed as Honorary Members by resolution of the Society at a General Meeting
(2)Such Honorary Membership shall be for life or for such shorter period as the Society may resolve
(3)The Designated Family Judge for the Courts shall be invited to be Honorary President of the Society
(4)The Committee may decline to accept any application for Honorary Membership
(5)The Secretary shall maintain a Register of Honorary Members
6.General Meeting Notices of General Meetings
Proceedings at General Meetings
In so far as the provisions of Table A (Companies Act 1948 1981) do not conflict with these Rules (in which even the rules shall prevail) Table A paragraphs 47-61 shall apply on the basis that
(a)reference to the Company shall be construed as references to the Society; and
(b)reference to Directors shall be construed as reference to the Committee
and with the following provisos
(a)all references to 21 or 14 days notice for convening Meetings shall be replaced by reference to 42 days or such shorter notice as the Committee may decide;
(b)the quorum for any General Meeting of the Society shall be ten members;
(c)all reference to proxy voting shall not apply
7.Officers
The Officers of the Society shall consist of:-(i)The Chair
(ii)The Vice-Chair
(iii)The Secretary
(iv)The Treasurer
Each Officer shall be elected by the Society in Annual General Meeting from amongst members.Each officer shall serve from the date of his or her election until the close of the following Annual General Meeting.At the end of his or her term of office a retiring officer shall be eligible for election for a further term.
In the event of any office becoming vacant the Committee may appoint one of its number to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term of office.
8.Committee
The Committee shall consist of:-
(i)The Officers
(ii) Not more than eight elected members
(iii)Such other members as the Committee may from time to timeco-opt to serve as co-opted members up to a limit of six
(iv)The most recently retired Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Association, each of whom shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Committee until the retirement of the current holder of each such office
At each Annual General Meeting one third of the members or, if their number is not three or a multiple of three, the number nearest to one-third shall retire from office but all members shall have the right to offer themselves for re-election.
The members to retire at an Annual General Meeting shall be those who have been longest in office since their election or re-election, but where members were elected or last re-elected on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree amongst themselves) be determined by lot.
9.The founder members at the General Meeting of the Society on Wednesday 22ndMay 1991 shall elect an interim Committee and officers in accordance as near as may be with paragraphs 7 and 8 to serve until the first Annual General Meeting
10.Election
At each Annual General Meeting the retiring Secretary shall be responsible for supervising the election of the Officers and the Committee Members for the ensuing year.Each Member (but not Associate or Honorary Members of the Society) shall have a single vote.Nominations for each vacant post are to be delivered to the Secretary not less than 7 days before the Annual General Meeting (or such period as the Chair may accept) and are to be signed by the Candidate (to indicate willingness to stand) and one Member.Elections shall be by ballot at the Annual General Meeting.Postal votes shall be accepted provided they are received by the Chair prior to the commencement of voting.
11.Subscriptions
The rates of subscription for Membership for the calendar year 1991 and (until varied) for all subsequent calendar years shall be:-
£15.00 for Members
£7.50 for Associate Members
Which rates may be varied by Resolution of the Society in General Meeting
12.Accounts
The Treasurer shall ensure that all subscriptions and other income are placed to the credit of a banking account in the name of the Society and proper books ofaccountare maintained. The Treasurer shall produce to each Annual General Meeting the accounts of the Society.Withdrawals from the Societys Account may be effected in such manner as the Committee shall from time to time determine.The Accounts of the Society shall be audited annually save that this requirement shall be waived if in the period in question the withdrawals from the Societys Account or the expenditure of the Society has not exceeded the sum of £2000.
13.Amendments to the Rules
The Committee or failing them any 5 Members may by notice delivered to the Secretary not later than 28 days before any General Meeting propose an amendment to the rules to be put to the Membership at such General Meeting.Such amendment will be carried and put into effect only upon 65% of the members voting in person or by post (being not less than 25% of the total Membership of the Association) voting in favour of the amendment.
14.Termination of Membership
(1)A Member shall automatically cease to be such (for such period as the Committee may determine) upon his or her being struck from or suspended from the Roll of Solicitors
(2)An Associate Member shall automatically cease to be such (for such period as the Committee may determine) upon his or her being declared by the Law Society to be an unfit person to be employed by Solicitors
(3)The Committee shall have the power to expel a Member or Associate Member (without assigning anyreason for such expulsion) but not until such Member has been notified of the Committees intention to consider such expulsion and been afforded an opportunity of appearing before the Committee to show cause why he or she should not be expelled.
(4)A Member or Associate Member may resign by giving notice to that effect to the Secretary(5)In the event of a Member or Associate Member having failed to pay his or her subscription for a period of 6 months after the same shall have been due, the Committee may at its discretion treat such non-payment as the resignation of the Member or Associate Member in question
15.Complaints Procedure
The Committee shall draft a Code of Practice and a Complaints Procedure relating to the Code of Practice which shall be incorporated into the Rules of the Society by adoption at the first Annual General Meeting
16.Standing Committees
The number constitution and membership of the Standing Committee or Working Parties of the Society shall be determined in all respects from time to time by the Committee, save that the Chairman of each Standing Committee or Working Party must be a member of the Committee.All Members and Honorary and Associate Members shall be eligible for service on a Standing Committee or Working Party.