The emerging need for a Welsh jurisdiction.

Is Wales a jurisdiction? At present it is not, although that is not to say that it will never become one. Since devolution Wales has seen a gradual devolving of the administration of justice - the Court of Appeal now sits in Cardiff; the Courts Service is organised on all Wales basis, and the Wales and Chester circuit has now become the Wales Circuit. However, Wales remains part of the unitary jurisdiction of England and Wales. For the moment, this works well and both England and Wales benefit from it. As the body of Welsh law grows the tensions on the unitary model will also grow. At some time in the future, a realignment of the unitary jurisdiction will be necessary to accommodate Wales' legal needs.