CILEx applies for right to grant independent practice rights

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) has applied for the right to grant independent practice rights in litigation, advocacy, immigration, probate and conveyancing to chartered legal executives.

CILEx and its independent regulator ILEX Professional Standards (IPS) have submitted their applications to the Legal Services Board (LSB). If the applications are granted, the new powers will build on CILEx's existing status as an approved regulator for granting litigation and advocacy rights to its employed members, as well as its position as a qualifying regulator for granting immigration practice rights. Under the proposed changes, chartered legal executives with the relevant qualifications would be granted greater flexibility in their career choices, including the right to provide legal services independently.

CILEx president Nick Hanning said: "We have supported our IPS colleagues in developing robust qualification and regulatory arrangements for the full range of practice rights. A huge amount of work has gone into the applications. I have every confidence it will provide a solid basis for CILEx members and others regulated by CILEx to exercise rights in relation to reserved activities in their own right, to manage their own firms or businesses offering legal services, or to lead legal departments, no longer held back by the lack of practice rights. CILEx is all about opportunity. Its open-access approach to qualifications and membership brings an unrivalled measure of diversity to the legal services sector. What better vehicle for equality is there than to allow anyone capable of it to run their own business?"