Become an Advocate
The Institute of Legal Executives offers
a further qualification that can bring you the status of Legal
Executive Advocate.
Rights of audience allow you to offer a complete service to a
client – from initial advice, through to case preparation and
presentation before the courts.
Rights of audience for Legal Executive Advocates are available
in:
- Civil Proceedings
- Family Proceedings
- Criminal Proceedings.
The course is open to you if you are a Member or Fellow seeking
rights in the area in which you practice, although if you are a
Member you will not be able to exercise advocacy rights until you
qualify as a Fellow. You will need to complete an application to
ILEX for a Certificate of Eligibility which requires you to show
that you have the necessary level of legal knowledge and experience
before you can undertake the six-day course.
The application will require details of your existing knowledge
and experience in the area in which you seek rights, and will
include the completion of a portfolio of experience. If your
application to enrol is approved, you will be able to take a 6-day
course focusing on advocacy skills training. The final day of the
advocacy skills course involves an assessment of your advocacy
skills and knowledge of the law of evidence.
You must choose the area of Advocacy you wish to specialise in,
although it is possible to hold a certificate in more than one area
with the appropriate training.
As a Legal Executive Advocate, you will be required to renew
your Certificate within one year of issue, and then every three
years after that. At the first renewal you must produce a portfolio
detailing the advocacy experience you have gained. You must also
complete CPD each year on advocacy skills.
The Rights of Audience for Legal
Executives
ILEX will be able to grant the following rights of audience:
Civil Proceedings Certificate
- to appear in open Court in the County Court in all actions,
except family proceedings;
- to appear before Justices or a District Judge (Magistrates
Court) in the Magistrates Courts in relation to all matters
originating by complaint or application, including applications
under the licensing, betting and gaming legislation;
- to appear before any tribunal under the supervision of the
Council on Tribunals where the tribunal rules provide for a
non-discretionary right of audience being available to barristers
and solicitors;
- to appear before Coroners’ Courts in respect of all matters
determined by those Courts and to exercise rights of audience
similar to those exercised by solicitors and barristers.
Family
Proceedings Certificate
- to appear in Court (including in open court) in all County
Court family proceedings;
- to appear before Justices or a District
Judge (Magistrates Court) in the Family Proceedings Courts;
- to appear before Coroners’ Courts in
respect of all matters determined by those Courts, and to exercise
rights of audience similar to those exercised by solicitors and
barristers.
Criminal Proceedings Certificate
- to appear before Justices or a District Judge (Magistrates’
Court) in all adult magistrates courts in relation to all matters
within that Court’s criminal jurisdiction;
- to appear before Justices or a District Judge (Magistrates’
Court) in all Youth Courts in relation to all matters within that
Court’s criminal jurisdiction.
- to appear in the Crown Court or High Court before a judge in
chambers to conduct bail applications;
- to appear in the Crown Court on appeal from the Magistrates’
Court, the Youth Court or on committal of an adult for sentence or
to be dealt with, if s/he, or any solicitor by whom s/he is
employed or any other solicitor or Fellow in the same employment as
her/him, appeared on behalf of the defendant in the Magistrates’
Court or Youth Court;
- to appear before Coroners’ Courts in respect of all matters
determined by those Courts, and to exercise rights of audience
similar to those exercised by solicitors and barristers.
Next Steps
If you are interested in obtaining extended rights of audience,
please contact advocacy@ilexstandards.org.uk
for an application pack . Alternatively, follow these links to
download the application pack:
Guidance Notes for
Applying for a Certificate of Eligibility
Certificate
of Eligibility Application Form
Portfolio Forms (Criminal
Certificate Applicants, Civil & Family Applicants, Litigation
Cases)
The course provider accredited by ILEX to provide the advocacy
skills training is Kaplan Altior.
Read the Legal Executive article
about ILEX members who have done the course.