Free choice of lawyer

1.  Any contract of legal expenses insurance shall expressly provide that:

(a) where recourse is had to a lawyer or other person appropriately qualified according to national law in order to defend, represent or serve the interests of the insured person in any inquiry or proceedings, that insured person shall be free to choose such lawyer or other person;

(b) the insured persons shall be free to choose a lawyer or, where they so prefer and to the extent that national law so permits, any other appropriately qualified person, to serve their interests whenever a conflict of interests arises.

2.  For the purposes of this Section ‘lawyer’ means any person entitled to pursue his professional activities under one of the denominations laid down in Council Directive 77/249/EEC of 22 March 1977 to facilitate the effective exercise by lawyers of freedom to provide services.