CILEX charter changes endorsed in positive SGM vote
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CILEX members in attendance at a special general meeting (SGM) in June passed a resolution in favour of amending CILEX’s Royal Charter and bye-laws.
The resolution, supported by 73% of those who voted, will widen participation in the institute, establishing a formal career ladder for paralegal members and aligning CILEX’s membership grades and titles to the professional status awarded on completion of each stage of the CILEX qualification framework and apprenticeship pathways.
The reforms cement the progress made by CILEX over recent years to ensure that its members – whether as fully qualified lawyers, paralegals, legal technologists or trainees – have the professional status and standing needed to enjoy the same career opportunities as those who choose the traditional routes into law.
They also formally recognise the professional status of CILEX Fellows as fully qualified lawyers holding independent practice rights and therefore able to practice with parity to their solicitor counterparts as CILEX Chartered Lawyers.
They recognise that CILEX Paralegals are qualified and experienced professionals who are regulated and held to both behavioural and competency standards. The revised membership structure recognises paralegals as a branch of the legal profession in their own right and provides a career progression ladder and formal title that recognises this distinction.
In a letter to members, then CILEX President Emma Davies explained that “the SGM resolution enables CILEX to proceed to obtain an Amendment Order signed by His Majesty the King, to bring into effect the constitutional reforms that received overwhelming support from members in our 2023 consultation”.
She explained that the outcome reflected CILEX’s continued commitment to being a diverse and inclusive body “that shows leadership in driving change to ensure that all our members have equality of opportunity and professional recognition alongside other branches of the legal profession”.
The changes will come into effect on receipt of the Amendment Order and further member communications will follow over the summer with details of how the changes will be implemented.