Chartered Legal Executives as Judges

Chartered Legal Executive lawyers with five years post-qualification experience are now eligible to apply for some judicial appointments, alongside barristers and solicitors and other recognised lawyers.

This follows completion of the final stages of the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 which gained Royal Assent in July 2007. A key purpose of the legislation is to support diversity by widening the range of those eligible to apply to become judges.

The changes in legislation are part of government commitment to increasing public confidence in the judiciary and the justice system. This widening of eligibility means that the Judicial Appointments Commission will be able to draw from a wider pool of talent when running selection exercises ensuring the most talented and able candidates are appointed to the judiciary.

The changes allow those with the relevant skills, experience and expertise to apply for judicial office, instead of just solicitors and barristers, which is a significant step forward.

The following posts are now open to suitably qualified Chartered Legal Executive lawyers:

District Judge; District Judge (Magistrates Courts)
Deputy District Judge; Deputy District Judge (Magistrates Courts)
Road User Charging Adjudicator
Legally qualified member of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal
Member of Panel of Chairmen of the Employment Tribunal;
Judge of the First Tier Tribunal; and
Adjudicators (regulation 17 Civil Enforcement of Parking Conventions).

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has said that this approach has been taken to maintain the policy principle that those newly eligible should be eligible only for more junior level posts. The MoJ envisages that, over time, Chartered Legal Executive lawyers will be able to amass sufficient experience to apply for more senior level posts.

The latest posts available through the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) selection exercises can be found here.

CILEx strongly recommends that members who are considering applying for a judicial appointment take part in the workshadow a judge scheme before making an application.

The scheme is aimed at giving those who are thinking of applying for judicial office an insight into judicial work and responsibilities. The scheme provides the opportunity to spend up to three days observing (both in and out of court) the working lives of judges.

To find out more about becoming a judge join one of our 'Be a Judge' workshops, produced in conjunction with the JAC. The workshops are usually run in the Autumn, to find out more email beajudge@cilex.org.uk

"There is now no limit to what Chartered Legal Executive Lawyers can achieve within the legal profession"

First Chartered Legal Executive Judge, Deputy District Judge Ian Ashley-Smith. Read the full press release here.

"CILEx Fellows have the skills to become judges"

JAC Commissioner, Charles Newman. Read the full article from the March 2009 Legal Executive

What judicial posts are available and what are the prospects for practising Charterd Legal Executive Fellows? Neil Rose, Editor of the Legal Executive discusses the options.