(1)  A person is eligible for admission to the legal profession only if the person is a natural person aged 18 years or over and –

(a) the person has attained –

(i) approved academic qualifications; or

(ii) corresponding academic qualifications –

or is exempted from compliance with this paragraph under subsection (4) ; and

(b) the person has satisfactorily completed –

(i) approved practical legal training requirements; or

(ii) corresponding practical legal training requirements –

or is exempted from compliance with this paragraph under subsection (4) .

(2)  In this section –

approved academic qualifications means academic qualifications that are approved, under the Board of Legal Education rules, for admission to the legal profession in this jurisdiction;

approved practical legal training requirements means legal training requirements that are approved, under the Board of Legal Education rules, for admission to the legal profession in this jurisdiction;

corresponding academic qualifications means academic qualifications that would qualify the person for admission to the legal profession in another jurisdiction, if the Board of Legal Education is satisfied that substantially the same minimum criteria apply for the approval of academic qualifications for admission in the other jurisdiction as apply in this jurisdiction;

corresponding practical legal training requirements means legal training requirements that would qualify the person for admission to the legal profession in another jurisdiction, if the Board of Legal Education is satisfied that substantially the same minimum criteria apply for the approval of legal training requirements for admission in the other jurisdiction as apply in this jurisdiction.

(3)  For the purposes of subsection (2) , the Board of Legal Education may satisfy itself regarding the minimum criteria for the approval of academic qualifications, or legal training requirements, for admission in another jurisdiction by considering appropriate advice from an authority of the other jurisdiction that those criteria were established consistently with relevant agreed standards, and accordingly the Board of Legal Education need not examine (in detail or at all) the content of courses of legal study or legal training requirements prescribed in the other jurisdiction.

(4)  The Supreme Court, on the recommendation of the Board of Legal Education, may exempt a person from the requirements of subsection (1)(a) or (b) , or both, if satisfied that the person has –

(a) sufficient academic qualifications; or

(b) sufficient relevant experience in legal practice or relevant service with a government department or government agency –

or both, so as to render the person eligible for admission, whether the qualifications or experience were obtained wholly or partly in Australia or overseas.

(5)  An exemption under subsection (4) may be given unconditionally or subject to such conditions relating to the obtaining of further academic qualifications or further legal training as the Supreme Court, on the recommendation of the Board of Legal Education, considers appropriate.

(6)  For the purposes of subsection (3) , the regulations may identify or provide a means of identifying the relevant agreed standards.