The
Counsel General for Wales advises the Welsh Government on Welsh legislative matters and advises on legislative competency. The position of the Counsel General for Wales is described in the
Government of Wales Act 2006The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
and controlled in Standing Order 5 .
The Counsel General is a member of the Welsh Government; he or she is its chief legal adviser and is a political appointee, not a civil servant. The Counsel General is appointed by
Her MajestyThe monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
on the recommendation of the First Minister and may be removed from office by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the First Minister.
From 1998 to October 2003, Winston Roddick
CBThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
QCQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
fulfilled this role while the Executive and legislature were combined, and was Counsel General to the National Assembly for Wales. As such he had responsibility for advising the Assembly on all legal matters including, in particular, public and constitutional law, employment and disciplinary tribunals, information law, including the Data Protection Act.
The Counsel General may intervene in the public interest in any proceedings relating to the functions of the Welsh Ministers and/or the
First MinisterThe First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the...
. In
WestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, the closest equivalent to this role is the
Attorney GeneralHer Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
, although this is not a perfect comparison.
List of office holders
| Name |
Picture |
Entered office |
Left office |
Political party |
Government |
|
Carwyn JonesCarwyn Howell Jones is a Welsh politician and the First Minister of Wales. The third official to lead the Welsh Government, Jones has been Assembly Member for Bridgend since 1999. In the coalition government of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, he was appointed Counsel General for Wales and Leader of...
AM |
|
19 July 2007 |
9 December 2009 |
Labour |
Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition |
|
John GriffithsJohn Griffiths AM is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician and the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development...
AM |
|
December 2009 |
27 May 2011 |
Labour |
Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition |
|
Theodore Huckle QCQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
|
 |
27 May 2011 |
|
Labour party appointment |
Labour |