Professor Rick Rawlings, Professor of Public Law at UCL Faculty of Laws, has been appointed to the new independent Commission on Justice in Wales established by the Welsh Government. The Commission has wide-ranging terms of reference:
To review the operation of the justice system in Wales and set a long term vision for its future, with a view to:
• promoting better outcomes in terms of access to justice, reducing crime and promoting rehabilitation;
• ensuring that the jurisdictional arrangements and legal education address and reflect the role of justice in the governance and prosperity of Wales as well as distinct issues that arise in Wales;
• promoting the strength and sustainability of the Welsh legal services sector and maximising its contribution to the prosperity of Wales.
The Commission is headed by the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd. The Commission will publish a report of its findings and recommendations during the course of 2019.
Professor Rawlings said:
‘I’m really pleased and honoured by this appointment. The work of the Commission will be the first general inquiry into justice in Wales for two centuries. Legislative devolution, and especially the move to a ‘reserved powers’ model in the Wales Act 2017, gives it a very contemporary relevance.’