Milner: New CILEX chair
CILEX is set to make a final decision on whether to seek to transfer regulator to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in October, it announced yesterday.
We reported earlier this month that the SRA board agreed to regulate Chartered Institute of Legal Executive members if it decides to press ahead with changing regulator from CILEx Regulation.
In a statement yesterday, CILEX said its board met this week to consider the letter received from the SRA confirming its willingness to regulate CILEX members, “together with updated proposal documents, stakeholder and consumer feedback and the impact assessments arising from the SRA’s most recent consultation exercises”.
It continued: “The CILEX board remains satisfied that its case for change is valid and that a change of regulatory delegation is in the public interest.
“CILEX will now work with the SRA to finalise the full details needed for an application to the Legal Services Board (LSB) to revise its delegation to regulate all CILEX members from CILEx Regulation to the SRA.
“This includes further work to ensure the identified benefits for consumers can be fully realised and demonstrated.”
It said the CILEX board expected to make a final decision on whether to make an application in public session at its board meeting in October.
The reference to consumer benefits is likely to reflect the response of the Legal Services Consumer Panel to the most recent SRA consultation, which said switching regulator may be a good idea but both the SRA and CILEX had failed to provide the evidence to prove it.
CILEx Regulation Ltd (CRL) remains opposed to the move and papers before its most recent board meeting said that chair Jonathan Rees used a meeting with the LSB “to re-confirm CRL’s position… that [it] would not participate in any detailed discussions regarding any transitional arrangements that would need to be put in place between CRL and SRA in the event of re-delegation until the question of the lawfulness and legitimacy of CILEX’s proposals has been clarified”.
CRL has threatened to take legal action but not yet confirmed whether it actually will.
Richardson: New CILEX president
Meanwhile, Eileen Milner has been named as the new chair of CILEX, taking over from Professor Chris Bones in January 2025 after six years in the role.
Ms Milner chairs Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and the Children and Families Trust for Bradford and District. She was previously chief executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency and chief operating officer at the Care Quality Commission.
She praised “the significant progress CILEX has made” under Professor Bones, “which has been founded on seeking to ensure that the public benefit mission of the organisation is fulfilled through further strengthening the role and status of CILEX lawyers in our legal landscape”.
She continued: “I know through my own career that we best serve society and our economy when we recognise that talent exists everywhere and at all ages, but historically opportunity has not always followed.
“At CILEX we have a proud history of opening up a range of routes into the legal profession through prioritising accessibility and flexibility, whilst never compromising on having the highest professional standards and expectations. We are ambitious to do more and I am confident that collectively we are well equipped to do so.”
Law Society chief executive Ian Jeffery said: “We thank Chris for the work he has done leading CILEX over the past six years.
“His work leading CILEX has seen the organisation make strides in removing barriers for its members.
“There have been issues during Chris’ tenure on which CILEX and the Law Society have worked closely with a common viewpoint and others where we have respectfully differed. In all areas, we have enjoyed constructive and professional dealings and thank Chris for his personal contribution to that.
“We wish Chris every success in his future endeavours and look forward to welcoming Eileen to the role of chair at the start of 2025.”
CILEX also has a new president – the primary representative of CILEX members – in the shape of Yanthé Richardson, a principal director at South-West firm Foot Anstey, where she leads a team specialising in transactional new-build development conveyancing work.
She began her legal career at 17 working in a legal aid firm, first as a secretary, then later as a paralegal before qualifying with CILEX.
She represents CILEX on the Land Registry Advisory Council and the Digital Property Market Steering Group and was recently appointed to the New Homes Quality Board code council.
“This is a pivotal point in our long history, with achieving equality of opportunity for our members and efficient, effective regulation at the top of the agenda,” she said.
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