Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (ACLEC)

The Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (ACLEC) was set up in April 1991 under the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990.

In 1992 ACLEC commenced a major review of legal education in England and Wales. Two consultation papers covering the academic (or initial) stage of legal education, and the vocational stage and continuing professional development were issued in 1994-95.

Two further reports were issued by the Committee in 1995 as part of the review, on Access to and participation in undergraduate legal education and Funding legal education.

The review resulted in the 1996 First report on legal education and training – download the complete text as a PDF file below. A
conference to discuss the recommendations of the report was held in July 1996, with a consultative conference on continuing professional development held in October.

In 1997 ACLEC issued its second report, on Continuing professional development for solicitors and barristers – download the complete text as a PDF file below. A conference on common professional legal education was held in 1998.

Further reports issued by ACLEC:

• Lawyers’ comments to the media (1997)
• Standards and regulation of immigration advice (seminar report, 1997)
• Improving the quality of immigration advice and representation (1998)
• Rights of audience and the future of legal services (seminar report, 1998)
• Standards in family mediation: the way ahead (seminar report, 1999)
• Mediating family disputes: education and conduct standards for mediators (1999)

UKCLE has archive copies of most of the above reports – contact UKCLE (e-mail: ukcle@warwick.ac.uk) if you require copies.

ACLEC was disbanded in 1999. Responsibility for legal education in England and Wales now rests with the Legal Services Consultative Panel within the Ministry of Justice.

Last Modified: 4 June 2010