Mandate of Council

The Council

The Council for Legal Education (CLE) is a statutory body created by Parliament to regulate legal education and training in Zimbabwe. The general activities of the Council concern public interest and regulatory matters and centre on the Council's responsibilities for the quality and provision of legal training that is required to be undertaken by any holder of a law qualification from within Zimbabwe or from outside the country wishing to be admitted as a legal practitioner in the High Court of Zimbabwe.

The CLE is established in terms of section 34 of the Legal Practitioners Act (Chapter 27:07) (the “Act”) with the following statutory functions: -

    a) To ensure the maintenance of appropriate standards in legal education and training
    b) To determine the qualifications for registration for those seeking admission as legal practitioners admission of legal practitioners
    c) To determine syllabuses for and to set, either by itself or through examiners, professional examinations to qualify persons to be
        registered as legal practitioners
    d) To consider and grant or refuse applications from persons seeking exemption from any professional examination set by the Council

In order to fulfill this mandate the CLE is empowered in terms of section 35 (2) of the Act to undertake, among others, the following:

    a) To consider the content and standard of legal qualifications granted inside and outside Zimbabwe and to determine whether, and
        subject to what conditions, such qualifications should entitle their holders to registration in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act
    b) To provide courses of study and training for persons who wish to be registered or who are registered in terms of this Act or who are
        engaged in any occupation connected with the practice of law
    c) To advise the Minister and any educational institutions concerned on all matters relating to legal education and training
    d) To review legislation relating to legal qualifications, education and training and to advise the Minister on amendments that it
        considers should be made
    e) To co-operate with other persons, institutions and authorities concerned with the provision of legal education or training, whether in
        Zimbabwe or elsewhere
    f) To establish, support and maintain law libraries and reading rooms and to print, publish and circulate books and periodicals on law
        and legal subjects