Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:00 pm on 24 May 2022.
I think one of the starting points, of course, is that—you raised this—it's a very long document, and I agree with that. It could have been, actually, a lot longer, and I hope that the Member has seen the 'Delivering Justice for Wales: Summary and Work Programme' as well, which is a lot shorter. I think what we decided was really important was that we needed to actually present a picture of everything that is actually happening. If we're going to talk about justice, legislative justice, the justice system and social justice, we needed to be able to present a comprehensive picture to engage in a subsequent debate that takes place, because in many ways this is about hearts and minds, and it is about having a proper debate. In order for that to happen, all those various parts of the social justice and the justice system need to be engaged, as does indeed civic society. And I agree with you. Most people will never read the full thing, but they may read the bits that are relevant to them, and there will be those for whom it is important to have that overall picture.
So, I think, for the first time, we have a picture of what is actually happening in justice in Wales. We have a picture of those areas where I, working alongside the Minister for Social Justice, have actually been engaging in a wide range of areas, and to the Member's credit, the progress that is being made and the importance of it is something that we cannot ignore. So, that co-operation is very, very relevant and something that has to go on, and has resulted in improvements. The problem is, those improvements are limited. We're working in a system where it's almost as though you're being held back from doing the things and fulfilling the things you want to do. So, the drug and alcohol court, which we are sponsoring or contributing towards, in Cardiff—a very important development of a problem-solving court—we may well want to roll that out and roll it our quickly. We don't want to have to wait for a decision in London as to whether it's appropriate and whether it fits in within a plan there, because it is likely that it fits in exactly within the sorts of measures that we are taking, in devolved responsibilities in terms of housing, education, social services and so on.
The other issue, of course, is that—. Why do I say 'hearts and minds'? It's because getting justice devolved, per se, is not an easy process. I think, to some extent, it will be incremental, and the timetabling of it isn't necessarily within our hands. It is about showing a way of making justice being delivered in Wales better, and I think there are, equally, lessons here that apply to England. You referred to London—that's absolutely right. There are real benefits to reforming the justice system and the way that's delivered and co-ordinated in England as well.
Now, in terms of tribunals, of course the First Minister will in due course be making a statement in terms of the legislative programme, but I hope in this paper we've made it pretty clear that the recommendations of the Law Commission are ones that we intend to legislate on and to implement, and, of course, in terms of the increased role that we foresee for the president of tribunals. So, I just perhaps beg to ask for a little bit of patience on it, but it will be addressed, and you are absolutely right, it will be the most significant and historic change in the Welsh justice system, probably for centuries—the first time we will have ever had an appellate structure, and the potential for that to become an embryonic for change and so on.
In terms of the Law Council of Wales, well, of course, firstly, it has just been set up. I very much do welcome the support that's been given by the Law Society, which is enabling it to happen. It is, of course, independent of Welsh Government. I've attended the first three meetings, because I believe it is fundamentally important to be supporting it, to be talking about all these issues and what Welsh Government is doing, and I think the law council itself will at some stage decide what it needs to actually go into its next stage of development. I will certainly be listening very carefully to anything that they ask or any recommendations that they particularly make, but it's very important that it comes from them, rather than coming from Welsh Government itself. I hope I answered most of your points. Thank you.