Stipulations preventing a purchaser, lessee or under-lessee from employing his own solicitor to be void

(1) Any stipulation made on the sale of any interest in land after the commencement of this Act to the effect that the transfer shall be prepared or the registration of the title of the purchaser carried out at the expense of the purchaser by a solicitor appointed by or acting for the vendor, and any stipulation which might restrict a purchaser in the selection of a solicitor to act on his behalf in relation to any interest in land agreed to be purchased, shall be void. (2) If a sale of an interest in land is capable of being effected by demise, sub-demise or assignment then, for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section the instrument required for giving effect to the transaction shall be deemed to be a transfer. (3) Any covenant or stipulation contained in, or entered into with reference to, any lease or under lease made before or after the commencement of this Act, (a) whereby the right of preparing, at the expense of a purchaser, any transfer of the estate or interest of the lessee or under-lessee in the demised premises or in any part thereof, or of otherwise carrying out, at the expense of the purchaser, any dealing with such estate or interest, is expressed to be reserved to or vested in the lessor or under-lessor or his solicitor; or (b) which in any way restricts the right of the purchaser to have such transfer carried out on his behalf by a solicitor appointed by him, 40 shall be void. (4) In this section, “lease” and “under-lease” include any agreement therefor or other tenancy, and “lessee” and “under- lessee” and “lessor” and “under-lessor” have corresponding