, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I thank you for that supplementary question, and I think perhaps a little bit more than a gentle reminder is probably the case, because I think you're right—the potential impact of these changes—. These are changes where there's an indemnity fund that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for your question. We are discussing the future of the solicitors indemnity fund with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society. I met with the SRA board chair and chief executive in November. We are meeting again later this month, I…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, can I thank you for that very important supplementary question? Because what you've highlighted, as you did with the Hillsborough issue, is what is one of the great injustices of the twenty-first century: the injustice of thousands of people being…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for the question. Matters relating to access to justice for Welsh citizens are always an important part of my agenda in the regular, frequent meetings that I have with UK Government Ministers.
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
But I think what I should say is that, certainly with my portfolio as Counsel General and Minister of the Constitution, and with the Minister for Social Justice, what we have recognised is, of course, the Thomas Commission recommended there should be a…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, firstly, the simple answer to that is 'yes'.
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, of course, I don't see them as being a contradiction or a conflict in that sense, because each particular Bill has to be assessed in terms of the particular circumstances that are applicable to that. And, of course, LCMs are a constitutional requirement…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, I think the efficient management of elections is something that is always under consideration, and of course has been in the various inter-ministerial discussions. For example, the proposals that are being made by the UK Government, even in respect of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, of course, that is an issue that has already occurred, as we had the Senedd elections at the same time as the police and crime commissioner elections, and of course there were in fact different franchises for each of those elections. I think it's very…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Yes, I can. Discussions have been ongoing. They have been very positive and constructive. They haven't yet been concluded. There are two outstanding issues of competence that are still under discussion and the issue of those and whether a legislative consent…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for those comments. Of course, the issue of human rights, of acts of aggression, of war crimes and of, in fact, genocide are matters that actually transcend party political differences, particularly when we see them occurring on 24-hour news, live…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for the question. I welcome the investigation by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and I'm heartened that 40 states have now referred the matter to the court for consideration. The Welsh Government stands in solidarity with Ukraine…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, thank you for the points you make. This is, indeed, a serious constitutional point because, as you've mentioned, human rights are embedded in our constitutional status. You'll know, of course, that we have serious concerns with the nature of the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government issued a response to the UK Government's Human Rights Act reform consultation on 8 March, setting out our significant concerns and opposition to the proposal to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a bill of…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you very much. Where would a lawyer be without the capacity to speculate? Thank you very much.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, obviously, they could be, and it depends on the attitude of the four Governments in terms of the sorts of issues that will come forward to dispute, if they're not capable of resolution. What I think is probably more likely to come forward in terms of…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, at the moment, those disputes are still within the inter-ministerial discussions. The most significant of those that you raised there is obviously the professional qualifications one, where consent has been refused. Obviously, the issue of Sewel again…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, I think that that's because that was where the common ground ultimately was, in terms of the actual steps needed to establish a dispute process, and a dispute process that was the end of the line rather than very early on, so that you would have to go…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Look, I think any process that doesn't have a justiciable status, or a formal constitutional written status, has challenges, because it is dependent on the acceptance of the outcome of the process. And, as yet, we have no examples of what's going before it…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
If we go for another five minutes, I'm okay with that, but I've got a little bit of other work to do to prepare ahead, if that's okay. If there are any matters, of course, as I say, two things: one, I'm happy to deal with any questions you want to put in…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I'm afraid I probably do have to go at half past because I'm going straight into, or shortly into, a Cabinet meeting. So, I've got a little bit of preparation to do for that as well.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I will do.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
So, on that particular issue, then, as soon as I know that, I will obviously inform the Senedd of the outcome and we'll consider our position when we know whether or not we have obtained leave to appeal.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Yes, thank you for that. As the members of this committee will know, we went to the Court of Appeal to argue our case. The Court of Appeal hasn't rejected our case; what it has said is that the way for it to proceed is to actually bring a piece of legislation…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, I think that the Minister there will have raised those, and I know with the First Minister as well. What I can say, of course, is that one of the areas that I've been involved in, as you will know, is over the issue of EU retained law. And I think the…
