TO:             All Attorneys-at-Law and CLPD Providers

This is to notify you that the General Legal Council has decided to amend paragraph 9A(1) of the Legal Profession (Continuing Legal Profession Development) Regulations 2013 to increase the number of credits that can be carried forward to a succeeding year from 4 to 8.

This will not affect the obligation to obtain the relevant number of credits in ethics and client welfare (and in business management, finance and clients’ accounts where applicable) in the succeeding year.

This will mean that where an attorney is required to obtain 12 credits in a year and has obtained in that year 20 or more credits, 8 credits can be carried forward to the succeeding year, so that the attorney will be required to obtain the 4 mandatory credits in the succeeding year.

Equally, where an attorney in practice for less than three years is required to obtain 16 credits in a year and has obtained in that year 24 or more credits, 8 credits can be carried forward to the succeeding year, so that the attorney will be required to obtain 8 mandatory credits in the succeeding year.

This amendment will take effect in 2016 and will not therefore retroactively alter the requirements for preceding years.

THE CHAIRMAN
THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL