Commentary on Sections Part 6 – Financial Restrictions Proceedings Rules of court, disclosure and related matters Section 68 – Appointment of special advocate
197.Section 68 provides for the appointment of a special advocate in financial restrictions proceedings. This procedure corresponds with the special representation procedure contained in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (see paragraph 7 of the Schedule to the Act). A special advocate is a qualified lawyer who has passed through the Government's security vetting process, whose role is to represent the interests of a party to financial restrictions proceedings (including any appeal) in circumstances where that party and his own legal representative are excluded from the proceedings. The special advocate is appointed by the appropriate law officer (as described in subsection (3)) and is not responsible to the party whose interests he is appointed to represent.