CILEx Regulation launches consultation on its future

The consultation follows the recent Legal Services Board investigation

CILEx Regulation launched a consultation on 15 May, following the publication of the investigation report by the Legal Services Board (LSB) in April, into how the present system of regulation can work better for consumers, the regulated community and the public.

CILEx Regulation is an independent regulatory body that regulates chartered legal executive lawyers, other members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and law firms. The professional association represents 18,000 chartered legal executives, paralegals and legal professionals.  

The LSB’s investigation report, which was published on 18 April, assessed the disputes and disagreements between the CILEX and CILEx Regulation, including delegation, financial matters, proposed consultations and the apparent breakdown of relationship, and set out a series of recommendations. CILEX and CILEx Regulation have voluntarily agreed to fulfil the recommendations detailed in the LSB’s report.

The consultation is seeking views on whether respondents support the following areas, among others: the present system of independent regulation for CILEX professionals; the plans to modernise the relationship between CILEX and CILEx Regulation to give CILEx Regulation more operational independence; the plans to simplify the way people can start a law firm; the plans to ensure education requirements reflect the specialist needs of CILEX practitioners; and the increased efforts to champion the importance of CILEX professionals.

Commenting on the consultation, Jonathan Rees, Chair of CILEx Regulation, said: “Our overall aim in this consultation is to help create an improved regulatory system which makes the most of independent regulation tailored to the unique contribution CILEx practitioners provide to the legal system and ultimately leads to more competition and a better deal for consumers of legal services generally. We believe the best way to do this is to ask all those with an interest in an open and evidence-based way. The people we regulate are unique. They work alongside solicitors and barristers, argue cases in court, and advise on specialist areas of the law. Having come into the law from diverse backgrounds, they are known for their ability and experience, but it has not always been easy for their needs to be understood, their status to be recognised, and their voice to be heard.”