Coupland: Streamlining regulation remains ambition
Work to transfer the regulation of CILEX members to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has come to an end, it has emerged.
The draft 2026-27 business plan published this morning by the SRA said that, “given the need to focus on our current remit, we will not take forward any further work relating to any potential redelegation of the regulation of CILEX professionals”.
Chief executive Sarah Rapson told Legal Futures that while “I can’t rule it out forever, it is not part of my plan”.
Meanwhile, CILEX chief executive Jennifer Coupland said that, while the pair had been in advanced discussions, “in recent months both parties have come to the conclusion that change of this scale, at this point in time, would take both organisations away from their key priorities”.
The possibility of the change was first mooted publicly in July 2022, sparking opposition from CILEx Regulation (CRL) and the Law Society, with the Legal Services Board having to step in to referee.
There have been significant changes at the helms since – Ms Coupland began her role last September, shortly before Ms Rapson took up her post, while Eileen Milner because CILEX’s new chair at the start of 2025.
Ms Coupland continued: “CILEX remains committed to having its members regulated proportionately and effectively, reducing unnecessary duplication and operating at a cost that is sustainable for both consumers and the profession.
“Streamlining regulation continues to be our ambition given that many of our members are already regulated by the SRA as they work for SRA-regulated firms, as well as being regulated as individual practitioners by CRL.
“Any reduction in duplication and increased clarity and efficiency would be good for consumers, our members and the market, as well as potentially delivering financial savings.”
Ms Coupland said CILEX would soon consult on a five-year strategy, as part of which “we will be reviewing how best to achieve our goals for future regulation”.
She added: “In the meantime, we are working collaboratively with CRL to look at how we improve the current suite of regulatory arrangements for chartered legal executives, recognising the critical role this plays in supporting members, maintaining high standards, and improving access to justice for the public.”
In a statement, CRL said it remained focused “on delivering a high standard of specialist regulation of CILEX members which is risk-based, cost-effective, proportionate and operates in the public and consumer interest”.
It said: “We continue to take the view that redelegation of regulation is unlawful. The clarity from the SRA is welcome – the proposal has caused significant and unnecessary uncertainty over the past four and half years.
“Our focus moving forward is to work collaboratively with CILEX and other stakeholders to further improve the current regulatory arrangements in the public interest in a way that would avoid the need for regulatory redelegation, and the cost and disruption that would inevitably entail.
“We look forward to further clarity from CILEX regarding the future of their redelegation proposals.”
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