CILEX Mazur member update: Upcoming appeal hearing
CILEX Mazur member update: Upcoming appeal hearing
18 February 2026
As you may be aware, the Court of Appeal has scheduled a hearing of CILEX’s appeal against the Mazur judgment, starting at 2pm on Monday 23 February 2026.
The Mazur ruling, which caused confusion and uncertainty for those working in litigation, has had a significant impact, affecting many of you in your day-to-day practice while also raising broader questions for the legal profession and the justice system.
Why is CILEX appealing the Mazur judgment?
Since the judgment, our immediate priority has been on supporting members to navigate its implications and to continue delivering high-quality legal services with confidence.
However, our concerns extend beyond the short term. CILEX exists to widen access to the profession and to champion high-quality legal services delivered by skilled specialists from diverse backgrounds. We believe the issues raised by the judgment go to the heart of access to justice, fairness and diversity within the legal profession, and the efficient operation of the legal system.
We are appealing because clarity and certainty are urgently needed – for our members, for employers and consumers, and for the justice system as a whole. Regulation must be clear, proportionate and focused on protecting the public, while properly recognising the expertise and authorisation of talented legal professionals. Through this appeal, we are seeking to ensure you can practise with confidence and to reinforce the important role CILEX members play in delivering high-quality legal services to the public.
As part of CILEX’s case, we have submitted witness testimony highlighting the real-world impact of the judgment on members’ careers, ensuring the court can consider not only the legal issues at stake, but also the personal consequences for those affected.
Appeal details
You can watch a live stream of the appeal through the Judiciary’s YouTube channel.
The sessions are taking place on Monday 23 February, Wednesday 25 February, and Thursday 26 February.
We are grateful to be represented pro bono by leading lawyers in the field: Nick Bacon KC, head of 4 New Square, Helen Evans KC, Teen Jui Chow and Faye Metcalfe of 4 New Square, Iain Miller, a partner, and Stephen Nelson and Phoebe Alexander, senior associates, at City law firm Kingsley Napley and Greg Cox, managing partner of Simpson Millar. Their collective expertise in legal services regulation and professional discipline reflects the importance of the issues before the Court.
We will also be joined at the hearing by a number of organisations granted permission to intervene, including the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Law Centres Network.
You can view our media statement here.
Your next steps
The level of interest in this appeal and the support we have received show these issues deserve careful discussion and review, which the appeal will provide. Of course, no one can predict the outcome of the appeal, and the most reliable way to safeguard your position will be to obtain practice rights. I’m pleased to report that since the ruling over 1,000 CILEX Fellows are in the process of obtaining, or have already secured, their litigation practice rights. If you haven’t yet started this process and it applies to you, we encourage you to start your application.
We are expecting a timely outcome and will continue to keep you updated.
Kind regards
Jennifer Coupland, CILEX CEO