Are there further rights open to me once I become a Fellow?

Upon qualification as a Chartered Legal Executive, a limited number of rights of audience are conferred in the county court, namely the right to appear in an unopposed application for adjournment or an application for judgement by consent. This right is set out in the County Court (Right of Audience) Direction 1978. However, this only applies to those Fellows employed by a solicitor.

Under regulation 38(1)(b) of the Civil Legal Aid (General) Regulations 1989, a Fellow may represent an appellant before a Legal Aid Area Committee at the hearing of an appeal against a decision affecting the applicant’s right to receive legal aid. Charetered Legal Executives who are not employed by a solicitor are not restricted from appearing. However, given a Chartered Legal Executives has no automatic right to conduct litigation, it should only really be applicable to Fellows who have obtained the further rights pertaining to litigation.

Chartered Legal Executives can obtain practice rights in litigation for civil, family and criminal law, and you can read about these on this page. You can also read about obtaining litigation and advocacy rights, via different routes, on the following pages:

• Become a CILEx Practitioner – CILEx Regulation
• ULAW Route for independent practice rights for Chartered Legal Executives

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