The Legal Services Board has dismissed a call by justice minister Jonathan Djanogly for it to consult more widely on proposals to extend the rights of legal executives to conduct litigation and appear in court.

Last week, Djanogly told the House of Commons that an application by the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) to the LSB to extend the litigation rights of ILEX members was ‘unusual’ and merited ‘wider consultation and engagement’.

But a spokesman for the LSB this week told the Gazette: ‘We have not and do not currently intend to consult more widely.’

The LSB is considering whether or not to allow legal executives to conduct litigation and appear before the courts in civil and family proceedings, and to deliver probate services.

The LSB spokesman said: ‘We have sought and received advice from our mandatory consultees – the Legal Services Consumer Panel, the Office of Fair Trading and the lord chief justice. ILEX itself consulted on the proposals in February 2010.’

The spokesman said a report will be submitted to the LSB board in May.

Djanogly said last week: ‘Clearly, any extension to the range of ILEX practitioners who can conduct litigation independently could have a significant impact on the legal services market.

'The [LSB] has a statutory duty to promote competition within that market and I would therefore expect it to evaluate this potential impact carefully in considering ILEX’s wider application.’

The LSB has already approved an ILEX application to grant its members the right to conduct litigation, although, under ILEX regulations, practice is limited to associate prosecutors (APs). ILEX has effectively regulated APs since 2008 under a voluntary arrangement with the Crown Prosecution Service.

The House of Commons approved the AP measure last week and it was due to go before the House of Lords as the Gazette went to press.

Djanogly said the government has no plans to extend the litigation rights of APs.

In order to extend the litigation rights of its members, ILEX must amend its own regulatory framework, which requires approval from the LSB, but not from parliament.