Elisabeth Velina Jones[1] is a Welsh lawyer who served as the Counsel General-designate for Wales, from 7 August 2024 to 11 September 2024[2] and has also served as legal adviser to the Senedd.[3][4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Elisabeth_Jones_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Elisabeth_Jones_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Early life and education
editJones studied French and German at Somerville College, Oxford, and studied for an LLM at the University of Bristol.[5]
Career
editJones initially worked in commercial and employment law in the City of London and Bristol. She also worked giving free legal advice at the Gloucester Law Centre. She later worked at the European Court of Human Rights.[6]
In 2012, she was appointed Chief Legal Advisor to the National Assembly for Wales. She served in this role until 2019.[7]
In 2024, she was appointed as Counsel General-desginate in the Eluned Morgan government on "an interim basis".[7] She replaced Vaughan Gething, who had appointed himself to the role after Mick Antoniw resigned from the cabinet.[8] She has specific statutory functions in that role, including in relation to Senedd Cymru Bills. However, as she is not an elected Minister, any ministerial powers associated with the role will have to be executed by a sitting minister.[1] The Law Society responded to her appointment by calling for a return to a political appointee in the role, saying that the lack of an elected Senedd member in the role presents a risk of loss of political focus around justice in wales.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b "Elisabeth Velina Jones: Counsel General Designate | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Haines, Chris (11 September 2024). "Two former ministers return to government as Eluned Morgan completes first reshuffle". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ Browne, Adrian (6 August 2024). "Mark Drakeford back in Welsh government as health secretary". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ "Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers". www.gov.wales. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Reyes, Eduardo (13 May 2013). "Elisabeth Jones". Law Gazette. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Assembly's chief legal adviser shortlisted for top UK award". senedd.wales. 20 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Written Statement: Cabinet Appointments (7 August 2024)". www.gov.wales. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ McKeon, Christopher (17 July 2024). "Vaughan Gething reshuffles Welsh Labour top team after resignations". The Independent. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Price, Emily (15 August 2024). "Law Society calls for a return to political Counsel General in September". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Waddingham, Emma (15 August 2024). "The Law Society calls for a return to political Counsel General in September". Legal News. Retrieved 2 September 2024.