Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Further to the statement dated 10 August 2020, I am pleased to inform the Senedd that the Law Commission is now consulting on its review of the law governing the operation of the devolved Welsh tribunals and its proposals for reform. These include:
- Replacing the existing separate tribunals with a single unified first-tier tribunal, broken down into chambers catering for similar claims.
- Bringing the Valuation Tribunal for Wales and school exclusion appeal panels within the new unified first-tier tribunal.
- Reforming the Welsh Tribunals Unit (the part of the Welsh Government which currently administers most devolved tribunals) into a non-ministerial department.
- Standardising the processes for appointing and dismissing members of the tribunals, and introducing a greater role for the President of Welsh Tribunals.
- Standardising procedural rules across the tribunals, and introducing a new Tribunal Procedure Committee to ensure that the rules are kept up-to-date.
The consultation will be open from 16 December 2020 to 19 March 2021. Further details about the consultation including next steps and how to respond can be accessed on the Law Commission’s website at the following link. https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/devolved-tribunals-in-wales/#devolved-tribunals-in-wales