Section 67 (assistance by Authority in connection with certain references) of the Act of 1998 is amended by adding the following subsections:

"(5) The relationship between a solicitor employed by the Authority or any barrister retained by him or her and a person requesting assistance under this section shall be the same as the relationship between a solicitor or barrister and a client who is not such a person.

(6) Subsection (5) is without prejudice to the rights and responsibilities of the Authority and the obligations arising out of the relationship between the Authority and the solicitors employed by it.

(7) For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that sections 59 (prohibition of solicitor acting as agent for unqualified person) and 64 (bodies corporate) of the Solicitors Act 1954 do not apply in relation to the provision by a solicitor employed by the Authority of assistance under this section.

(8) In this section -

'person requesting assistance' includes a person to whom assisance is being, or has been, provided under this section;

'relationship' includes rights and privileges arising from the relationship.".