Chartered legal executives and CILEX paralegals in law and in Parliament

What the statute book and the parliamentary record say about chartered legal executives and cilex paralegals — searched by 3 phrases, counted, and published with what each phrase catches by mistake.

142documents
19of them Acts
1971 oldest hit — read the caveat
161 contributions in Hansard

Regulator: CRL
Statutory basis: Legal Services Act 2007 sch.4
Register: The profession on this site

The oldest hit is the least trustworthy figure here. Two things make it so, and both are visible in this collection.

The oldest documents are the likeliest to use the word in another sense. The oldest hit for “solicitor” is the Taxation Act 1640, and its only occurrence of the word is “Solicitor Generall to the Kings most excellent Majestie”.

And a hit is not always enacted text. legislation.gov.uk’s revised texts carry its own editorial annotations — notes recording that a provision was amended or applied by something later — and the index reads them. The oldest hit for “notary” is the Ecclesiastical Licences Act 1533, whose only occurrence of the word is the note “S. 11 applied by Public Notaries Act 1843 (c. 90), s. 5”. The 1533 text does not contain it.

When the law mentioned them

2000

1970s 56 in the busiest decade 2020s

Documents per decade, by the year the document itself carries. This is the revised statute book: an Act repealed long ago is generally not on legislation.gov.uk at all, so the early decades are thinner than the history was.

When Parliament mentioned them

1800
1850
1900
1950
2000

1800s “legal executive” — 30 in the busiest decade 2020s

Spoken and written contributions containing the phrase, by decade. Hansard’s digitised record begins with the 1803 session, so a decade before that is absent rather than quiet. Collected for the profession’s own name only; the other phrases below have totals but no series.

What was searched for, and what it catches

Phrase	What it is	Legislation	Hansard
“legal executive”	The profession	137	79
“CILEX”	Its regulator	13	71
“paralegal”	The profession	3	11

What these phrases catch that is not this profession.

“legal executive” — Matches the Institute of Legal Executives and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives as well as the practitioner, because the index is stemmed and the body's name contains the profession's.
“paralegal” — Not a reserved title. Anyone may use it, and CILEX regulates only those who join it.

Nothing is filtered out on the strength of these. A sweep that dropped what it judged irrelevant could not be checked, and the size of the wrong-sense class is itself worth knowing.

Legislation named after them

3 documents whose title contains one of these phrases — the law that is about this profession rather than merely mentioning it.

The Acts

19 Acts of a Parliament or Assembly mention this profession, against 123 statutory instruments and other secondary material.

Year	Act	Matched
2025	Abuse Redress Measure 2025	legal executive
2023	Powers of Attorney Act 2023	legal executive
2022	Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022	legal executive
2020	United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020	legal executive
2018	Civil Liability Act 2018	legal executive
2018	Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018	legal executive
2015	Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015	legal executive
2010	Equality Act 2010	legal executive
2007	Legal Services Act 2007	legal executive
2003	Criminal Justice Act 2003	legal executive
2002	Proceeds of Crime Act 2002	legal executive
2000	Terrorism Act 2000	legal executive
1999	Access to Justice Act 1999	legal executive
1999	Immigration and Asylum Act 1999	legal executive
1996	Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996	legal executive
1988	Local Government Act 1988	legal executive
1984	Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984	legal executive
1976	Race Relations Act 1976 (Repealed)	legal executive
1971	Powers of Attorney Act 1971	legal executive

The instruments

The 120 most recent of 123 statutory instruments and other secondary documents.

Which statute book

Legislature	Documents
United Kingdom	137
Northern Ireland	2
Wales	2
Scotland	1

These professions are regulated in England and Wales, but the search is not restricted to it: a Scottish instrument mentioning solicitors is about Scottish solicitors, who are a different profession, and dropping it silently would have been a judgement the reader could not check.

In Parliament

161 contributions, 0 debates and 12 written answers mention one of these phrases. Summed across phrases, so a speech naming both the profession and its regulator is counted twice.

What was said, on “legal executive”

24 of 79 contributions, newest first. A sample, not the record.

My Lords, I support Amendment 115 and would certainly have put my name to it had there been any space. I was shocked when I discovered this initially, and remain shocked, that victims are advised to postpone counselling and therapy, which goes against ev

Baroness Hamwee, Victims and Prisoners Bill , 7 February 2024 (Lords)

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock (Stephen Metcalfe) for promoting this vital Bill. I look forward to supporting him as the Bill completes its journey and, I hope, makes its way on to the statute book. My hon. Frie

Mike Freer, Powers of Attorney Bill , 9 December 2022 (Commons)

I am grateful to the noble Lord. He is absolutely right about the three/three appointments, but I would respectfully direct his attention to two features of Clause 22. First, whom the Lord Chancellor can appoint is circumscribed by subsection (4). One of

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, Judicial Review and Courts Bill , 24 February 2022 (Lords)

To recap, clause 21 provides for the membership of the online procedure rules committee and its powers. It also includes the procedure for appointing members. The committee is to comprise six members, of whom three are to be appointed by the Lord Chief J

James Cartlidge, Judicial Review and Courts Bill (Eighth sitting) , 16 November 2021 (Commons)

I move the amendment on behalf of the hon. Member for Glasgow North East, who is unable to be here this afternoon. Clause 21 sets out the membership of the online procedure rule committee and makes other provisions—for the Lord Chancellor to reimburse

Alex Cunningham, Judicial Review and Courts Bill (Eighth sitting) , 16 November 2021 (Commons)

Q Mr Leiper, these questions are probably for you. One of the things that the Bill does is introduce an online procedure rule committee. I believe you sat on a shadow version of such a committee. Can you give us your insight into what kind of efficienci

Antony Higginbotham, Judicial Review and Courts Bill (Second sitting) , 2 November 2021 (Commons)

We believe that the procedure rule committee should be larger than currently proposed and that members should be a member of the Bar, a solicitor, a legal executive or magistrate. The reasons for that are twofold. First, it is surprising that the Governm

Yasmin Qureshi, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [ Lords ] , 23 July 2019 (Commons)

I beg to move amendment 3, in clause 5, page 4, line 29, leave out paragraph (c) and insert— “(c) one of each of the following— (i) a barrister in England and Wales, and (ii) a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, and (iii) a

Yasmin Qureshi, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [ Lords ] , 23 July 2019 (Commons)

On the membership of the committee, has the Minister given thought to including a disabled user and people from the legal profession—a solicitor, barrister or legal executive—to give input into the way that the changes in court procedures are carried out

Bambos Charalambous, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [Lords] , 16 July 2019 (Commons)

As a general rule, the adoption of new technologies in our justice system is something to welcome. It should, if done carefully, lead to better, more agile courts that increase access to justice. Labour recognises the need for an online procedure rule c

Yasmin Qureshi, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [Lords] , 16 July 2019 (Commons)

Let me begin by drawing attention to my registered interest as a member of the Bar. As the House heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi), we support the establishment of an online procedure rules committee and the g

Imran Hussain, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [Lords] , 16 July 2019 (Commons)

It is a pleasure as always to follow the Chair of the Justice Committee, the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill), whose contribution was as ever thought provoking and valuable. I welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate.

Stuart C McDonald, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [Lords] , 16 July 2019 (Commons)

My Lords, as several noble Lords have pointed out, the Bill reflects what was in the Prisons and Courts Bill, which fell because of the 2017 general election. I was a Minister in the Ministry of Justice when Lord Briggs’s interim report on the online co

Lord Faulks, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [HL] , 14 May 2019 (Lords)

My Lords, I too welcome the Bill, which develops the system of assistance in the courts using modern technology. I also share the concerns already expressed. I do not propose to repeat those, because they have been expressed at least as well as I could h

Lord Mackay of Clashfern, Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [HL] , 14 May 2019 (Lords)

In assets, cash, pensions, contracts, swaps and all the things that currently make up our global trade in such issues. As the Minister points out from a sedentary position, many people’s future retirement plans are crucially dependent on getting this rig

Dame Angela Eagle, Draft Benchmarks (Amendment and Transitional Provision) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 , 19 February 2019 (Commons)

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Amendment 2, in the schedule, page 6, line 36, at end insert— “(aa) is a qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with more than three years’ experience post-qualification

John Bercow, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [Lords] , 12 December 2018 (Commons)

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Amendment proposed: 2, in the schedule, page 6, line 36, at end insert— “(aa) is a qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with more than three yea

Yasmin Qureshi, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [Lords] , 12 December 2018 (Commons)

I beg to move amendment 3, in the schedule, page 6, line 36, at end insert— “(aa) is a qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with more than three years’ experience post-qualification, and”. This amendment would stipulate that

Yasmin Qureshi, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting) , 4 December 2018 (Commons)

I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. Those things do occur. Let me go back to my earlier point. We believe that limits should be placed on those who can be authorised and on what powers can be given to those authorised persons. The Bill will c

Yasmin Qureshi, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [Lords] , 27 November 2018 (Commons)

My Lords, I am all in favour of flexibility and entirely understand the argument, in relation to the exercise of judicial functions, that we should be careful not to prescribe conditions that are more appropriately left to the rules committee and the Lo

Lord Pannick, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [HL] , 16 October 2018 (Lords)

My Lords, I shall also speak to Amendments 4 and 6, which are consequential. These amendments in aggregate stipulate that authorised persons must have the following bare minimum legal qualifications: that they be a qualified solicitor, barrister or chart

Baroness Chakrabarti, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [HL] , 16 October 2018 (Lords)

That is an entirely different debate. As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, we have discussed it at length and heatedly in the past. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford for having carefully read the strategy and for helping to outline some of th

Sir Robert Buckland, Victims Strategy , 11 October 2018 (Commons)

My Lords, I will also speak to Amendments 6 and 7. These amendments in aggregate stipulate that authorised persons must have the following minimum legal qualifications: to be, “a qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with more th

Baroness Chakrabarti, Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [HL] , 10 July 2018 (Lords)

My hon. Friend is quite right. In fact, many, if not most, of the post-2010 coalition criminal legal aid cuts had been put in place by the losing Labour Administration. Furthermore, during debates on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders

Mr Jonathan Djanogly, Criminal Legal Aid , 8 May 2018 (Commons)

What was said, on “CILEX”

24 of 71 contributions, newest first. A sample, not the record.

My Lords, I will make one or two brief observations about this, if I may. First, I must declare an interest, in that about 10 years ago I was made an honorary vice-president of CILEX. In case it is thought that I am speaking with the interests of CILEX i

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Victims and Courts Bill , 11 February 2026 (Lords)

My Lords, it is vital to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service can recruit and retain a sufficient number of qualified Crown prosecutors. We suggest that Clause 11 supports this aim by increasing the CPS’s recruitment flexibility through the removal

Baroness Levitt, Victims and Courts Bill , 11 February 2026 (Lords)

The noble and learned Lord has said what I wanted to say much more sensitively and tactfully, but I will say what I was going to say. There is a danger that lawyers of my generation— I shall just apply it to my generation and not suggest which generat

Baroness Hamwee, Victims and Courts Bill , 11 February 2026 (Lords)

My Lords, this has been an interesting debate. At the heart of it lies the underfunded state of our criminal justice system—something which the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas, has highlighted. Looking forward, the criminal justice system needs more

Lord Sandhurst, Victims and Courts Bill , 11 February 2026 (Lords)

My Lords, I oppose the Question that Clause 11 stand part of the Bill. This clause seeks to extend the right to prosecute to those with different qualifications from solicitors or barristers. As my noble friend Lord Gove highlighted at Second Reading,

Lord Sandhurst, Victims and Courts Bill , 11 February 2026 (Lords)

My Lords, this Bill aims to enhance the rights of victims within the criminal justice system, introducing measures to ensure that their voices are heard and offenders are held accountable. As we have heard, it is a brief Bill at only 18 clauses long. As

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, Victims and Courts Bill , 16 December 2025 (Lords)

I have tried very hard to keep this non-partisan, but I have to say very gently to the noble Lord that it is a bit rich to hear from a member of the party opposite about what has happened to the criminal Bar, when pretty much everybody who was working th

Baroness Levitt, Victims and Courts Bill , 16 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, I thank your Lordships for the helpful and constructive approach taken to the Bill—and I really mean it when I say that. Many of those who have spoken this evening have enormous expertise in this area and the contributions are very welcome. Man

Baroness Levitt, Victims and Courts Bill , 16 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, I speak in the gap to acknowledge that the Bill has many virtues; I cannot enumerate them better than the Minister and my noble friend Lord Sandhurst have done. We have heard many valuable contributions in this debate, and I cannot begin to res

Lord Gove, Victims and Courts Bill , 16 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, victims demand effective and speedy justice, and we should deliver effective and speedy legislation. We welcome many measures in the Bill which build on the previous Government’s efforts in the Criminal Justice Bill and in the Victims and Pr

Lord Keen of Elie, Victims and Courts Bill , 16 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, at the heart of this Bill are measures aimed at ensuring that victims are treated with dignity, compassion and respect throughout the justice process. This legislation represents a significant step forward in strengthening the rights of victims

Baroness Levitt, Victims and Courts Bill , 16 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, this amends the Judicial Appointments Commission Regulations 2013, which govern the composition of and eligibility criteria for the board of commissioners of the Judicial Appointments Commission, to which I shall refer as the JAC for brevity.

Baroness Levitt, Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025 , 8 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, I hope not to detain the Committee for very long. I declare my interest as a solicitor of the senior courts of England and Wales—a professional qualification that fills me with considerable pride even now, after many years of practice. In mixed

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025 , 8 December 2025 (Lords)

My Lords, I am very grateful to both noble Lords for their contributions. The noble Lord, Lord Kirkhope, declared an interest as a solicitor. The noble Lord, Lord Sandhurst, and I should declare our interests as barristers in that case. I am not sure tha

Baroness Levitt, Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025 , 8 December 2025 (Lords)

I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. The draft statutory instrument amends the Judicial Appointments Co

Sarah Sackman, Draft Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025 , 1 December 2025 (Commons)

It is vital to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service can recruit and retain sufficient qualified Crown prosecutors. Clause 9 supports that aim by increasing CPS recruitment flexibility through the removal of an unnecessary legislative barrier. In tur

Alex Davies-Jones, Victims and Courts Bill (Fourth sitting) , 19 June 2025 (Commons)

The Opposition recognise that flexibility in how we decide which professionals can perform important functions in our criminal justice system is important, and we do not object to the widening of the scope, for example by including CILEX members. However

Dr Kieran Mullan, Victims and Courts Bill (Fourth sitting) , 19 June 2025 (Commons)

We hope that the Bill will provide some immediate relief when it comes to the recruitment of prosecutors, because it will address an outdated constraint, remove unnecessary legislative barriers, and allow the CPS to recruit Crown prosecutors from a broad

Shabana Mahmood, Victims and Courts Bill , 20 May 2025 (Commons)

This Bill builds on the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, passed by the last Parliament, to improve the experience of victims in the criminal justice system, the functions of the Victims’ Commissioner and, more generally, the administration of criminal jus

Andy Slaughter, Victims and Courts Bill , 20 May 2025 (Commons)

I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2023. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. Before I set out the effect of this instrument, I will explain the leg

Mike Freer, Draft Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2023 , 24 January 2024 (Commons)

My Lords, I think I have only one question to deal with, on the transitional arrangements for the 99 persons with whom we are concerned. My understanding—I will write to the noble Lord if my understanding is wrong—is that these persons have already been

Lord Bellamy, Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2023 , 12 December 2023 (Lords)

My Lords, it is indeed difficult to find many interesting things to say about this instrument, except perhaps that it has taken more than two years to get to this point after the ACCA decided that its members did not want to be either engaged in or regul

Lord Beith, Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2023 , 12 December 2023 (Lords)

My Lords, I have to confess that I struggle to find anything interesting to say about this statutory instrument. Under the Legal Services Act 2007, the Legal Services Board oversees various approved regulators for persons providing legal services. The

Lord Bellamy, Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2023 , 12 December 2023 (Lords)

My Lords, as far as I know, the noble Lord is entirely correct in his assumption. If I am, or he is, wrong, I will write accordingly to clarify that point. It will ultimately be for a judicial process—possibly for the Office of the Public Guardian, initi

Lord Bellamy, Powers of Attorney Bill , 16 June 2023 (Lords)

What was said, on “paralegal”

All 11 contributions, newest first.

Thank you, but I was not going to stop anyway. This is an important debate, and it is an issue that deserves to be aired on International Women’s Day, as the noble Lord, Lord, Farmer, did. I want to draw attention to women who I think have been very s

Lord Young of Norwood Green, International Women’s Day and Protecting the Equality of Women in the UK and Internationally , 17 March 2022 (Lords)

I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman knows that he has to be re-elected, of course, but he is not retiring. [Interruption.] Now I am very unclear whether he is retiring or just putting himself forward for re-election—fine. Like the right hon. Membe

Baroness Hoey, Valedictory Debate , 5 November 2019 (Commons)

I stand corrected. It is hard to keep going. My constituent studied law at Liverpool University and then applied for the Bar exams. Fully supported by her parents, she reluctantly came to London because there were more pupillages here. In 2008 she too

Bob Stewart, May Adjournment , 3 May 2018 (Commons)

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir David. I join the chorus of well-deserved congratulations and thanks to my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing West (Sir Peter Bottomley) and the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick)

Robert Courts, Leasehold and Commonhold Reform , 21 December 2017 (Commons)

My Lords, what an incredible privilege it is to speak in another amazing debate in this House, made all the more powerful by the individual stories that we are hearing. I pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Holmes, not just for his powerful arguments tod

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington, Unpaid Work Experience (Prohibition) Bill [HL] , 27 October 2017 (Lords)

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken in this brief debate. It has been helpful to identify concerns and I hope that I will address them—although there did not actually seem to be that many, as far as I could understand it. I have been able to

Lord Ashton of Hyde, Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) (No. 2) Order 2014 , 23 October 2014 (Lords)

That is absolutely right. The Government’s proposal will quite obviously mean that the client will have no choice. It will lead to a paralegal system, with people coming out of the conurbations to try to deal with tens of cases in one day, taking notes ro

Mr Elfyn Llwyd, Home Affairs , 9 May 2013 (Commons)

May I first express an unequivocal welcome for the announcement that the right hon. and learned Gentleman and the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Djanogly), made on Friday not only in respect of motor insurance but

Mr Jack Straw, Referral Fees , 13 September 2011 (Commons)

My hon. Friend has pre-empted the next part of my speech; if he will bear with me for a few moments, I shall answer his intervention. I am very concerned that small local providers of advocacy services may be squeezed out as a result of the tendering

Sir Charles Walker, Mental Health Advocacy , 12 January 2009 (Commons)

After checking Appendix 2 in the Joint Select Committee’s report, I agree that we did not receive evidence from the Institute of Paralegals, which I understand was founded in 2003. We are very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Neill of Bladen, for describ

Lord Hunt of Wirral, Legal Services Bill [HL] , 22 January 2007 (Lords)

I believe that those requirements are necessary. The regulations would not be worth much if they did not contain provisions governing the requirement for suitable procedures, suitable arrangements and suitable procedures respectively as specified in subse

Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Scotland) Bill Hl , 15 May 1990 (Lords)

How this was checked

For each phrase, 3 documents spread across the result set were re-downloaded from legislation.gov.uk and searched for the phrase in their published text. Every one of them contained it.

Legislation from legislation.gov.uk's full-text search; Parliament from the Hansard search API. Both are searched by quoted phrase, and both indexes are stemmed, so one phrase covers its plural. The legislation index is the English-language text: legislation.gov.uk holds Welsh versions of Welsh legislation separately, and a nil return here is a nil return in English. Document counts are a deduplicated union across a profession's phrases. Hansard contribution counts are summed across phrases and are therefore an upper bound, because one speech can match two phrases; the quotations kept are a sample of the total, never the whole of it. Nothing is filtered for relevance -- each phrase carries a caveat naming what it wrongly catches. The oldest hits are the least trustworthy: they are the likeliest to be the word in an older sense, and the legislation index reads legislation.gov.uk's editorial annotations as well as the enacted text, so a document can be returned because a note recording a later amendment mentions the phrase.

Collected 29 September 2026 from legislation.gov.uk and the Hansard search API, both Open Government Licence v3.0.