6 The administration of justice

Responsibility for the administration of justice has not been devolved to the Assembly, but there have been some significant developments since devolution. These developments are wide-ranging, and include:

• regular sittings of the Court of Appeal Civil Division and the Court of Appeal Criminal Division in Cardiff
• the establishment of the Administrative Court of Wales
• the establishment of a Chancery Court in Wales
• the creation of a mercantile court for Wales
• the regular sitting of the Employment of Appeals Tribunal in Wales
• most judicial review cases involving decisions of Welsh public authorities, including the Assembly, are heard in Wales
• the appointment of a High Court Judge whose fluency in both English and Welsh enables trials to be conducted bilingually or entirely in Welsh without translation.

These developments illustrate that there has been recognition of the need for a form of administration of justice that meets the needs of the devolved jurisdiction. Some commentators are debating whether this can be seen this as a move towards establishing a separate legal personality for Wales and whether this is feasible or desirable.