2. Will the Counsel General outline how the Welsh Government has been working with the legal sector to establish a Law Council of Wales? OQ57055

Thank you for that question on the law council of Wales. Since the beginning of 2020, we have been working closely with the legal sector to establish the law council for Wales, through discussions with the Law Society, commercial law firms and high-street practices, the bar, law schools, the judiciary and other leading representatives of the sector in Wales.

Thank you for your answer, Counsel General. I believe it is vital that legal education in Wales is firmly placed within the Welsh context and focuses on building an awareness of Welsh law. Ahead of the forthcoming meeting of the proposed members of its executive committee, can you outline your priorities for the remit of the law council?

Thank you for that question, and as has been indicated, the establishment of a law council for Wales is one of the recommendations of the Thomas commission, and the recommendation also built on a call by Lord Lloyd-Jones for an institute for Welsh law to be established to promote the study of Welsh law and proposed a law council, but one with a wider remit than just legal education so that it would include a voice for the legal community in Wales by promoting awareness of the growing body of Welsh law, ensuring the provision of legal resources through the medium of Welsh and helping Welsh law schools to equip students with education and training to thrive in practice, but, in addition, that it would be an umbrella body to share resources, support training on Welsh law for the judiciary and professions and ensure collaboration and co-operative working to contribute to the development and sustainability of the legal sector. So, it is a vital sector, it's an important sector in terms of the Welsh economy, but it's also an important sector in respect of the growth and the development of Welsh law, and to that extent, the role of Welsh Government in this has been to work with and to facilitate the development of the law council for Wales, to give it support, but, of course, it will be a body that is independent of Government. But I have certainly given my commitment to giving any support I can to ensure that it is a success, because it is such an important development for Wales.