South Wales Central Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies has slammed Senedd minister Julie James, after she claimed “a separate Welsh legal jurisdiction is inevitably developing”.
The Counsel General told the Senedd that “the more laws we make in this place, the more separate they become from the England jurisdiction.”
Mr Davies said the comments demonstrated Plaid and Labour’s true intentions behind their decision to spend £120 million on 36 more Senedd members.
Calling for Senedd expansion to be scrapped, he said the policy was “rooted in separatism” and demonstrated a “salami slice approach towards delivering Welsh independence”.
He said the money spent on the 36 politicians should instead go towards public services in Wales.
Mr Davies said:
“Plaid and Labour’s plans to spend £120 million 36 more politicians and a bigger Senedd are rooted in corrosive separatism.
“The minister’s comments on the evolution into a separate Welsh legal jurisdiction give the game away about their salami slice approach to breaking our nation apart.
“Plaid and Labour’s separatist obsession has seen resources diverted away from public services – scrap Senedd expansion and fund our NHS.”
ENDS
NOTE: Please find below the Senedd record of proceedings from 11th November 2025
Julie James
14:42:01
A separate Welsh legal jurisdiction is inevitably developing. The more laws we make in this place, the more separate they become from the England jurisdiction. Regardless of whether you view it or not as a separate legal jurisdiction, a separate body of law is growing up in Wales, and lawyers need to be cognisant of that body of law. In practising in Wales, they need to be able to apply the right law in Wales to the right topic. I’ve had quite a lot of discussion with the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales on this—she was at the Bangor conference as well—and with a number of other members of the judiciary as well, in terms of how you ensure that the developing body of Welsh law is properly adjudicated.