SRA consults on potential regulation of CILEX students and paralegals

The SRA have launched a consultation on rule changes needed to allow the potential regulation of non-authorised Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) members.

The suggested arrangements explain the rules that would apply to CILEX paralegals and students should CILEX’s proposal to re-delegate regulation to us go ahead.

CILEX published a consultation on its re-delegation proposals during 2023, with the SRA’s own consultation on the changes they would need to make to take on regulation of authorised CILEX members launching shortly after. Details of feedback from their first consultation exercise have now been published.

The newly launched consultation does not revisit issues already covered by their earlier exercise. Instead it focusses on non-authorised CILEX members, an issue CILEX raised following the conclusion of our first consultation. Paul Philip. Chief Executive of the SRA, said:

“We remain open to the idea of regulating CILEX members due to the benefits such a move would potentially bring to the legal landscape, especially in terms of making it easier for the public to understand and navigate. As we did with our earlier consultation regarding authorised CILEX members, these proposals outline an approach which would allow for the continued regulation of CILEX paralegals and students, something CILEX asked us to specifically consider.”

The consultation on potential arrangements for non-authorised CILEX members runs until 15th May 2024, with all stakeholders invited to have their say. Feedback will be considered by the SRA Board in June. Law Society of England and Wales president Nick Emmerson said:

“The Law Society strongly opposed the previous proposals to regulate authorised legal executives. We remain of the view that the regulation of authorised legal executives is best managed under the current bespoke arrangements with CILEx Regulation, which the majority of CILEX members’ support.”