Experienced lawyers from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) will be eligible to become Crown court and upper tribunal judges under reforms to make the judiciary more diverse, the Ministry of Justice has revealed.

A statutory instrument is being laid today extending the eligibility of CILEX lawyers with seven years’ experience to the judicial offices of judge of the Upper Tribunal, deputy judge of the Upper Tribunal and recorder. The secondary legislation will come into effect once parliament has approved it.

CILEX lawyers were previously eligible to sit as a district judge, deputy district judge, first-tier tribunal judge, employment judge, road user charging adjudicator, parking adjudicator, senior coroner, area coroner and assistant coroner. They could also apply to become a circuit judge after two years as a district judge.

The ministry said CILEX lawyers are not required to hold a university degree and they gain their legal qualifications while working.

Lord chancellor and justice secretary Alex Chalk said: ‘Providing more opportunities for experienced lawyers from a range of backgrounds to join the bench strengthens the judiciary and the rule of law. That’s why we’re making these important reforms, to broaden eligibility and ensure the judiciary is able to draw on a wealth of experience.’

More than three-quarters of CILEX’s 20,000 members, which also include legal executives, paralegals and other legal professionals, are women, 8% are Asian, 5% are black and 3% are from a mixed ethnic background, and 85% were educated at a state school.

Professor Chris Bones, CILEX chair, said judicial appointments should be based on merit. ‘All lawyers regardless of their professional title should be able to apply for all judicial roles they are trained and competent to perform. In giving its support to this much-needed, ground-breaking legislative change, CILEX is clear that this should be the first step to opening up all judicial posts to CILEX lawyers who meet the required standards as the optimum way of enabling the broadest range of applicants to successfully join the judiciary,’ he said.

 

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