Elisabeth Jones
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Elisabeth Velina Jones[1] (born 1959/1960)[2] is a Welsh lawyer who served as the Counsel General-designate for Wales from 7 August 2024 to 11 September 2024[3] and has also served as legal adviser to the Senedd.[4][5]
Early life and education
[edit source]Jones was born in Mountain Ash.[6] She attended Mountain Ash Comprehensive School.[7] Jones studied French and German at Somerville College, Oxford, and studied for an LLM at the University of Bristol.[6]
Career
[edit source]Jones initially worked in commercial and employment law in the City of London at the firm Theodore Goddard and at Bristol at the firm Osborne Clarke and Lyons Davidson.[8] She also worked giving free legal advice at the Gloucester Law Centre.[7] She later worked at the European Court of Human Rights.[7]
In 2012, she was appointed Chief Legal Advisor to the National Assembly for Wales. She served in this role until 2019.[9]
In 2024, she was appointed as Counsel General-designate in the Eluned Morgan government on "an interim basis".[9] She replaced Vaughan Gething, who had appointed himself to the role after Mick Antoniw resigned from the cabinet.[10] She had specific statutory functions in that role, including in relation to Senedd Cymru Bills.[1] However, as she was not an elected Minister, any ministerial powers associated with the role had 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.[11][12] She is now currently a member of the Legal Wales Executive Committee.[8]
Personal life
[edit source]Jones has one daughter named Seren.[7]
References
[edit source]- 1 2 3 "Elisabeth Velina Jones: Counsel General Designate | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ "Assembly's chief legal adviser shortlisted for top UK award". senedd.wales. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ 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.
- 1 2 Reyes, Eduardo (13 May 2013). "Elisabeth Jones". Law Gazette. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 "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.
- 1 2 "Executive Committee | Legal Wales". www.legalwales.org. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- 1 2 "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.