Primary and secondary legislation generated by the Senedd
For the medieval legal system of Wales, see Cyfraith Hywel. For UK Acts of Parliament only applying to Wales, see Wales-only laws.
Welsh Judges at the Fourth Senedd Assembly; June 2011
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Welsh law (Welsh: Cyfraith Cymru) is an autonomous part of the English law system[1] composed of legislation made by the Senedd.[2] Wales is part of the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales, one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom.[3] However, due to devolution, the law in Wales is increasingly distinct from the law in England, since the Senedd, the devolved parliament of Wales, can legislate on non-reserved matters.
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Welsh law has been generated by the Senedd since the Government of Wales Act 2006 and in effect since May 2007. Each piece of Welsh legislation is known as an Act of Senedd Cymru. The first Welsh legislation to be proposed was the NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2008. This was the first time in almost 500 years that Wales has had its own laws, since Cyfraith Hywel, a version of Celtic law, was abolished and replaced by English law through the Laws in Wales Acts, enacted between 1535 and 1542 during the reign of King Henry VIII.[4]
Because Wales is not a distinct legal jurisdiction, matters of justice are reserved to Westminster.[5] There have, however, been calls for a distinct legal jurisdiction and the devolution of justice and policing to the Senedd. For example, in 2020, an independent commission led by former Lord Chief Justice John Thomas came to the conclusion that the existing arrangement was ‘failing the people of Wales’.[6]
Prior to the 19th century, It was custom for Welsh Judges to travel on horseback, whereas their English counterpart did not, this detail was discussed within the House of Commons in May 25, 1820.[7]
There have been multiple calls from both Welsh academics and politicians however for a Wales criminal justice system.[8][9][10]
^The legal system in Wales is known as English law rather than English and Welsh law. See [[Welsh law#Terminolog|]].
^Law Society of England and Wales (2019). England and Wales: A World Jurisdiction of Choice [Report] (Link accessed: 16 March 2022).
^"The English legal system". ICLR. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
^"BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Assembly powers bill becomes law". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
^"Criminal justice and devolution". www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
^"What powers does the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) have?". Centre on Constitutional Change. University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
^Hereford Journal - Wednesday 07 June 1820
^"Written Statement: Update on the development of the justice system and the legal sector in Wales (30 September 2021)". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
^"Plaid Cymru call for devolution of justice to Wales - 'we can't be treated as an appendage to England'". Nation.Cymru. 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
^"Devolution a 'necessary step' towards a better Welsh criminal justice system, academics argue". Cardiff University. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
Welshlaw (Welsh: Cyfraith Cymru) is an autonomous part of the English law system composed of legislation made by the Senedd. Wales is part of the legal...
have been calls from both Welsh academics and politicians for a separate Welsh justice system. Administrative law Arbitration law Charities Civil procedure...
Welsh (Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ]) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken...
in 1284, introducing English common law alongside Welshlaw and custom and causing the recently established Welsh principality to be incorporated into...
system may have been Welshlaw, in which it was essential for people to know how people were descended from an ancestor. These laws were decaying by the...
The Welsh Government (Welsh: Llywodraeth Cymru) is the devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and deputy ministers. It is...
parliament (Welsh: senedd). In the 16th century the whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales...
in Wales are British citizens. In Wales, the Welsh language (Welsh: Cymraeg) is protected by law. Welsh remains the predominant language in many parts...
reasons: English law, Scots law, Northern Ireland law, and, since 2007, calls for a fourth type, that of purely Welshlaw as a result of Welsh devolution,...
the Welsh language (Welsh: hanes yr iaith Gymraeg) spans over 1400 years, encompassing the stages of the language known as Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle...
The Penal Laws against the Welsh (Welsh: Deddfau Penyd) were a set of laws, passed by the Parliament of England in 1401 and 1402 that discriminated against...
The Welsh Marches (Welsh: Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning...
Cyfraith Hywel (Welsh: [ˈkəvraiθ ˈhəwɛl]; Laws of Hywel), also known as Welshlaw (Latin: Leges Walliæ), was the system of law practised in medieval Wales...
as the passing of laws specific to Wales. Since World War II, various movements and proposals have advocated different models of Welsh devolution. In 1979...
Welsh cuisine (Welsh: Ceginiaeth Cymreig) encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with Wales. While there are many dishes that...
body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees to certain taxes, and scrutinises the Welsh Government. It is a bilingual institution, with both Welsh and English...
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (Welsh: Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nghymru 1535 a 1542) or the Acts of Union (Welsh: Y Deddfau Uno), were Acts of...
Medieval Welsh literature is the literature written in the Welsh language during the Middle Ages. This includes material starting from the 5th century...
existing laws however. Welshlaw remained in force in Wales until the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282 for criminal cases, and until the Laws in Wales...
control of the Senedd to deal with Welsh issues. Cyfraith Hywel or "Laws of Hywel Dda" was a system of medieval WelshLaw that was exercised in Wales, after...
the Welsh Cabinet and junior ministers of the Welsh Government, as well as law officers, are appointed by the first minister. As head of the Welsh Government...
The history of what is now Wales (Welsh: Cymru) begins with evidence of a Neanderthal presence from at least 230,000 years ago, while Homo sapiens arrived...
Welsh English (Welsh: Saesneg Gymreig) comprises the dialects of English spoken by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar...
official languages of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) are also Welsh and English. According to the 2021 census, the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged...
the return of the traditional law of Hywel Dda, rather than the enforced English law, establishment of an independent Welsh church as well as two universities...
World. Retrieved 6 October 2022. David B. Lawrence (19 February 2007). "Welsh separatist and independentist flags: Patriotic Front flag". Flags of the...
significantly improve the rights to use Welsh in legal proceedings and started to remove the ban imposed on the language in law courts and other public administration...
counties were redistributed into the current 22 unitary authorities. For Welshlaw, "Wales" and "Cymru" are defined in the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 as...
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