The National Assembly for Wales’s Director of Legal Services, Elisabeth Jones, has been nominated for a prestigious award.
She has been shortlisted for the Law Society Gazette Legal Personality of the Year award, a category in the Law Society Excellence Awards.
“I was surprised to be shortlisted for the award and to be mentioned in the same breath as some very illustrious company,” Elisabeth said.
“It is a great honour to be nominated by the Law Society Gazette.
“It is a fascinating time to be working as the Assembly’s chief legal adviser, particularly with the recent and ongoing Supreme Court cases which have been looking at the breadth of the Assembly’s legislative competence.
“The court’s recent ruling on the Agriculture Sector (Wales) Bill radically changed the way the Assembly can use its devolved powers and we are now awaiting the Justices’ ruling on the Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases (Wales) Bill with interest.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my legal team at the Assembly who help me in delivering exemplar legal advice to the Presiding Officer, Assembly Members and senior management team.”
Elisabeth Jones was appointed Chief Legal Advisor to the National Assembly for Wales in 2012.
The 54-year-old former Mountain Ash Comprehensive School pupil took up the post following seven years as the Deputy Director of Legal Services with the Welsh Government.
Elisabeth specialised in commercial and employment law before leaving private law practice in 1990 to join the Gloucester Law Centre which provides free legal advice.
After gaining a master’s degree in International Law, Elisabeth moved to France in 1995 to work at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. While there, she gave birth to a daughter, Seren.
The winners of the Law Society Excellence awards will be announced on 9 October.
The
National Assembly for Wales’s Director of Legal Services, Elisabeth Jones
standing on the Senedd steps