Expanding the Ranks of the Judiciary
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has been a part of the legal profession in one form or another for more than 100 years. It is said to comprise around 20,000 paralegals and other legal professionals.
CILEX also opens up career opportunities within the legal profession for those who have not taken the LL.B. or other equivalent. The CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) provides an entry into the law for people whether or not they have a degree or relevant experience.
If all of this sounds like an advertisement then I promise that it isn’t. Nevertheless I think it is important to recognise the brilliant work carried out CILEX-qualified professionals and how the institute itself opens up a career in the law to a more diverse part of the population.
All of this is due to also be recognised by the government as they expand the ranks of the judiciary to incorporate those with the CPQ.
Currently those qualified with CILEX can sit as District Judges and appear on first-tier tribunals but new plans will allow those with at least seven years experience to sit as Recorders in the Crown Court and as judges in upper-tier tribunals.
It is important to preface the rest of this newsletter by noting that this is almost certainly part of a desperate attempt by the Ministry of Justice to address the backlog in the courts while barely spending any money.
Reports show that the backlog is continuing to get worse as the courts are just unable to keep pace. This partially stems from the coronavirus pandemic but, at its core, derives from years of chronic underinvestment in legal aid and a literally crumbling court infrastructure.
In reality this latest move will not make a dent in what is a much wider problem but that is not to say that offering more opportunities to legal professionals who qualified through CILEX is a bad thing or not important.
It is true that those with a CPQ are more likely to come from a diverse background and offer great experience from both within and without the legal profession.
As CILEX Chair, Professor Chris Bones put it:
“Women and ethnic minorities are currently under-represented in our judicial system and we need a judiciary that is representative of the society we live in to promote confidence in the rule of law. As one of the most diverse parts of the legal profession, CILEX is a key solution to accessing talent of greater diversity.
“Judicial appointments should be based on merit and all lawyers regardless of their professional title should be able to apply for all judicial roles they are trained and competent to perform.”
No matter the reason for the change, we should welcome those with a CILEX Professional Qualification into higher ranks of the judiciary.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, an oil spill off the coast of Nigeria raises questions about the limitation period in tort claims.
Episode link: http://uklawweekly.com/2023-uksc-16/
Make a difference today,
Marcus