CILEx President on LETR: “We are ahead of the game”

25 June 2013

Nick Hanning, the President of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) will give his reflections on the final report of the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) in a speech to an invited audience on Thursday 27 June 2013.

Providing his initial response, he said: “This is a valuable piece of work. It is the first time that research into Legal Education and Training has so carefully evaluated the contribution CILEx’s educational approach makes to Legal Services. I’m pleased to see the report gives mainstream recognition of CILEx’s approach over the last 50 years, and as we continue to lead the way with apprenticeships it is good to see these are highlighted in the report. I welcome the report for acknowledging that ‘only CILEx qualifications offer career progression directly into a regulated profession’”

On Thursday he is expected to acknowledge that CILEx and its regulatory body ILEX Professional Standards (IPS) have already embraced much of the outcomes based regulation the report calls for, particularly through its new Work Based Learning Scheme, changes to Continuing Professional Development, and the introduction of new ethics and skills requirements.

Additionally he is likely to challenge the report for its muddled approach to licensing paralegals. He is expected to say: “The proposed certification/licensing scheme has all the hallmarks of an expensive regime without the guaranteed quality assurance the public would expect from such a scheme. The report fails to recognise CILEx represents around 12,500 paralegals, the largest number of regulated paralegals in the UK, whom consumers can rely on. They are held to the same professional and ethical standards as lawyers, with access to development, qualifications, and a diverse choice of career destinations.”

It is also anticipated that he will question the idea of a ‘Legal Education Council’, saying: “Whilst at first this looks like a ‘nice to have’ idea, with further consideration I fear this will turn out to cost too much, increase the burden of regulation, and remove regulatory responsibility from where it belongs; with CILEx and IPS.”

Nick Hanning will be addressing the 50^th Anniversary Celebrations of the London Branch of CILEx on Thursday 27 June at 6pm.

ENDS