Constitution of the British-Turkish Lawyers Association
1. Name and Objects
1.1 The name of the Association is The British-Turkish Lawyers Association.
1.2 The objects for which the Association is established are as follows:
(i) to promote fellowship and good understanding and improve relations between the legal professions in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Turkey;
(ii) to develop and strengthen legal, business and cultural links between lawyers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Turkey and to support the role of lawyers and the law;
(iii) to promote and organise professional and social events, and joint seminars and congresses, of United Kingdom and Turkish lawyers on matters of common interest;
(iv) to create a directory for business networking and to exchange information and ideas in relation to professional training, access to justice and other legal topics; and
(v) to do all things necessary and incidental to these objects and to co-operate with other British or Turkish associations for the furtherance of these objects.
2. Membership
2.1 The Association shall be composed of Ordinary Members, Student Members, Associate Members and Honorary Members.
2.2 Ordinary Members
2.2.1 The following shall be eligible for membership as Ordinary Members:
(i) Individual Ordinary Members: Members of any branch of the legal profession in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Turkey and academics in law working with any university in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Turkey; and
(ii) Corporate Ordinary Members: Law firms, legal consultancies and sets of chambers established in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Turkey.
2.2.2 Ordinary Members shall pay the full rate of subscription and have full voting rights.
2.3 Student Members
2.3.1 The following shall be eligible for membership as Student Members:
(i) Students studying law at any university in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Turkey.
2.3.2 Student Members shall pay a reduced rate of subscription and shall not have full voting rights.
2.4 Associate Members
2.4.1 The following shall be eligible for membership as Associate Members:
(i) corporations, firms, sets of chambers and other organisations, individuals, law students and lawyers qualified in jurisdictions other than any part of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Turkey who are members of a corresponding law association nominated by the Committee and who have an interest in the objects of the Association.
2.4.2 Associate Members shall pay a reduced rate of subscription and shall not have any voting rights.
2.5 Honorary Members
2.5.1 Honorary Membership may be bestowed by a General Meeting on lawyers or non-lawyers.
2.5.2 Honorary Members are exempt from the payment of subscriptions and shall have full voting rights.
2.6 Acquisition and Loss of Membership
2.6.1 Applications for membership of the Association:
(i) shall be made In writing to the Membership Secretary of the Association and signed by the applicant;
(ii) shall contain full and proper details relating to the application and the subscription properly payable;
(iii) shall be submitted to the Committee for approval; and
(iv) shall be determined by a majority vote of the Committee.
2.6.2 Membership shall be terminated by notice in writing from the _member, by expulsion, by death or by ceasing to be qualified for membership.
2.6.3 Notice of termination shall take effect at the end of the calendar year during which such notice has been given to the Membership Secretary.
2.6.4 A member can be expelled by the Committee:
(i) for dishonourable or unprofessional conduct; or
(ii) for failure to pay the annual subscription.
4. Subscriptions
4.1 The annual subscriptions for Individual Ordinary Members, Corporate Ordinary Members, Student-Members and Associate Members stiall be set by the Committee on an annual basis.
4.2 Any member who joins the association on or after 1 July in any calendar year shall pay one-half of the normal annual subscription for the remainder of that calendar year.
5. General Meetings
5.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held once in each calendar year on such day as1he Committee shall determine.
5.2 The Chairman or, in his or her absence, the Vice Chairman, or, in his or her absence, a person nominated by the Committee, shall preside at General Meetings of the Association. Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Constitution each question shall be decided by a majority of votes. Each Ordinary Member of the Association shall have one vote on each question. The Chairman of the General Meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
5.3 The business of the Annual General Meeting shall consist of:
(i) the reception of the Chairman's report on the activities of the Association during the preceding year;
(ii) the election of the Officers and of the members of the Committee;
(iii) the approval of the accounts of the Association;
(iv) the appointment of an Auditor; and
(v) any other business of which notice may have been given or which may be permitted to be raised without notice.
5.4 Any member wishing to raise any matter at the Annual General Meeting shall give notice in writing thereof to the Secretary no later than three days before the date of the meeting PROVIDED THAT the chairman of the meeting may allow any matter to be raised at the Annual General Meeting without such previous written notice as aforesaid.
5.5 In addition, the Committee may convene General Meetings of the Association to transact any matter which the Committee wishes to bring before the members. The provisions applicable to the Annual General Meeting shall mutatis mutandis apply to any such General Meeting subject to the provision that any member wishing to raise any matter at such meeting shall give notice in writing thereof to the Secretary not later than ten days before the date of the meeting.
5.6 At all General Meetings of the Association the quorum shall be six Ordinary Members.
5.7 Notice convening a General Meeting shall be sent by the Secretary to the members not less than fourteen days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
5.8 Subject to Clause 5.1 meetings of the Association shall take place at such places, dates and times as may be specified by the Committee.
6. The Committee
6.1 The Committee shall consist of:
(i) the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Secretary, the Membership Secretary and the Treasurer who shall all be Ordinary Members elected in the Annual General Meeting by simple majority of the Ordinary Members present; and
(ii) not more than three additional Members who are individuals invited by the Committee.
6.2 The Officers and other members of the Committee shall retire at each Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election.
6.3 In the event of any vacancy in the Committee other than by retirement at an Annual General Meeting the Committee shall be entitled to fill such vacancy by co-option of another Ordinary Member.
6.4 The Committee shall elect a Committee member to fill any vacancy amongst the Officers occurring otherwise than by retirement at an Annual General Meeting.
6.5 The Committee shall meet at least three times a year at regular intervals as well as on the request of the Chairman or, in his or her absence, the Vice-Chairman for the despatch of urgent business. Meetings shall be conducted by the Chairman or, in his or her absence, the Vice-Chairman or, in his or her absence, a person nominated by the Committee. The quorum of the Committee shall be five members including any two Officers of the Association. The Committee shall decide by simple majority. In case of equality of votes the person conducting the meeting shall have a second or cafiling vote.
7. Powers of the Committee
7.1 The affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Committee.
7.2 The Committee shall have power to do all things reasonably necessary in order to achieve the objects of the Association.
8. Alteration of the Constitution
8.1 The members of the Association shall have power to alter the Constitution by majority of two-thirds of those present and voting at a General Meeting.
9. Expenses
9.1 Any expenses and outgoings of the Association incurred in holding meetings shall be borne by the funds of the Association, including entrance fees.
9.2 All expenses of the Committee reasonably incurred on behalf of the Association will be paid for by the Association.
1O. Chairman's decisional final
The decision of the Chairman of the Meeting as to the result of the voting on any question shall be final and an entry in the Minute Book signed by the Chairman of the Meeting shall be conclusive of the terms of any resolution and of its having been passed.
11. Minutes
The Secretary shall record in a Minute Book the proceedings of all General meetings and meetings of the Committee.
12. Register of members
The Membership Secretary shall maintain a list of names and addresses of all members of the Association which may be inspected on notice by any member. The Membership Secretary may keep such list on a computer or other medium and each of the Members and past Members of the Association shall be deemed to have consented thereto unless they shall have given written notice to the contrary to the Membership Secretary.
13. Financial Year
The financial year of the Association shall end on the 31st December in each year to which day the Accounts of the Association shall be balanced.
14. Audit of Accounts
The Committee shall appoint as soon as practicable a suitable person to serve as the first Auditor. The Auditor shall audit the accounts of the Association before the Annual General Meeting. A vacancy occurring on the office of Auditor during the year shall be filled by the Committee.
15. Dissolution
If the number of members of the Association shall at any time fall below two or If at any time the Association shall pass in a meeting by a majority comprising of at least two .thirds of the members present and entitled to vote a resolution of Its intention to dissolve the Association such dissolution shall take place immediately. In the event of the dissolution of the Association the available funds of the Association shall be transferred to such one or more charitable institutions having objects which Include objects similar or reasonably similar to those hereinbefore declared as shall be chosen by the Committee and approved by the meeting of the Association at which the decision to dissolve the Association is confirmed.
16. Governing Law
This Constitution shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Adopted this 24th day of May 2005